Search Climate Insights Directory

This report from the Institute for Security Studies consists of several articles analyzing critical issues within the South African criminal justice system. It examines the high rates of police killings and the factors contributing to them, the closure of the SAPS Anti-Corruption Unit, the dynamics of sexual violence and gender roles in men's prisons, trends in child sex offenders and their custody, the effectiveness of the Independent Complaints Directorate in monitoring police brutality, and the implementation of firearm unfitness hearings under the Arms and Ammunition Act.

The Leriba Statement, issued by a Civil Society Campaign Group following a conference organized by the Institute for Security Studies, calls for the regulation of private political party funding in South Africa to combat corruption and ensure political equality.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the implementation of the Firearms Control Act of 2000 in South Africa, which replaced the 1969 Arms and Ammunition Act. The document details the high prevalence of firearm-related deaths, public support for stricter gun controls, and the specific regulatory mechanisms introduced by the new Act to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and manage legal ownership.

This research paper examines the presence and activities of Chinese organised criminal groups and triad societies in South Africa. It details their evolution from niche trades like shark fins to diversified criminal enterprises including abalone smuggling, drug trafficking, and counterfeit goods, while analyzing the challenges faced by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in monitoring these secretive, hierarchical organisations.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the rise of crime in South Africa during its transition to democracy. It argues that while the transition period saw a spike in criminality, the roots of the problem lie in the apartheid system. The author analyzes the failures of the centralized criminal justice system, the growth of private security and vigilantism, and the government's National Crime Prevention Strategy, concluding that the state's inability to ensure personal safety threatens the consolidation of the new democracy.

This 1997 research paper evaluates the South African Police Service's (SAPS) response to gender-based violence, highlighting systemic failures such as secondary victimisation, under-reporting, and a militarized police culture. It details the impact of the Prevention of Family Violence Act of 1993 and examines various training initiatives, including a Gauteng-based partnership with civil society and specialized centers in Port Elizabeth and Pretoria, while calling for better statistical recording of gender crimes.

The Noise Control Regulations, issued under Section 25 of the Environment Conservation Act, 1989, establish a legal framework for managing noise pollution in South Africa. The regulations define 'disturbing noise' and 'noise nuisance,' grant local authorities broad enforcement powers, and set specific decibel limits for vehicles and buildings in 'controlled areas.' They also prohibit certain noise-generating activities in residential areas during specific times and outline penalties for non-compliance.

The Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983 (and its associated regulations) provides a legal framework for the protection of agricultural resources in South Africa. It establishes mandatory control measures to prevent soil erosion, waterlogging, and salination, regulates the use of veld and the management of veld fires, and creates a classification system for combating weeds and invader plants. The document also outlines the administrative functions of conservation committees and the technical specifications for soil conservation beacons.

This document is a draft reply from the South African Department of Water and Sanitation to a National Assembly question (No. 4253) regarding the number and qualifications of 'Blue Scorpions' (Environmental Management Inspectors) within its Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement unit.

A draft reply from the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs regarding fish kills in the Blaaubankspruit in January 2011, attributing the event to sewage effluent rather than acid mine drainage.

This briefing is a draft parliamentary reply detailing the status of the Villiers Wastewater Treatment Works in Mafube Municipality. It notes that while effluent is generally compliant, the plant is operating over capacity. The Department has issued a notice to the municipality regarding a missing water use license application (WULA) and intends to issue a directive to resolve this, though no criminal charges have been filed. The municipality has submitted rehabilitation plans, and the Department provides technical support through the Gauteng Regional Office and a Wilge catchment water management forum.

The document is an annex containing a list of legal appeals and disputes brought before the Water Tribunal regarding the National Water Act, 1998. It details various cases involving water use licenses, directives issued by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA), and disputes over illegal dam construction or water stress, noting the current status of pleadings and potential for settlement.

Unofficial minutes from a May 8, 2013, meeting of the Portfolio Committee on Water and Environmental Affairs regarding public hearings on Section 21 listed activities of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (No. 39 of 2004). The session involved submissions from industry bodies and civil society organizations concerning emission standards, the fairness of the amendment process, and the health impacts of air pollution on local communities.

This joint practice note outlines the procedural arrangements and legal issues for a combined hearing in the High Court of South Africa (Western Cape Division) regarding three defamation lawsuits. The parties request a virtual hearing for proceedings scheduled for 9 and 10 June 2020, involving disputes over the abuse of process in legal proceedings and the requirements for trading corporations suing for defamation.

This document is a legal affidavit and supporting evidence filed by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) on behalf of a coalition of environmental organisations. It seeks the review and setting aside of decisions made by a Municipal Planning Tribunal and a Municipal Appeal Authority regarding a land-use change application by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd for the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine. The applicants argue that the decisions were irrational, procedurally unfair, and failed to consider the strategic environmental and hydrological significance of the area, specifically its location within a Strategic Water Source Area (SWSA) and the Mabola Protected Environment.

This document contains the Appellants' Rebuttal Heads of Argument in a legal appeal involving the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the Federation for a Sustainable Environment against the Department of Water and Sanitation and Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. The briefing primarily addresses allegations made by Atha-Africa regarding conflicts of interest, abuse of legal process, and misleading arguments, while defending the role of the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) as a public interest law organisation.

This document is a supporting affidavit from Barbara Dallas Creecy, the Minister of the National Department for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, seeking leave to appeal specific orders made by the High Court of South Africa on 18 March 2022 regarding air pollution in the Highveld Priority Area.

This document is an affidavit by David Carlyle Le Maitre, a principal researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), submitted to the Water Tribunal. It provides expert testimony on the identification and importance of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) in South Africa, specifically addressing the impact of the proposed Yzermyn underground coal mine on the Enkangala Drakensberg surface water SWSA.

The Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) of the Limpopo Province refused an Environmental Authorisation (EA) for the proposed Meletse Iron Ore Mining project. The project, proposed by Aquila Steel (S Africa) (Pty) Ltd, would have involved an open pit mining operation and associated infrastructure on the farms Donkerpoort 448 KQ and Randstephne 455 KQ. The refusal was based on the determination that ecological, visual, and traffic impacts could not be mitigated and that the project conflicted with required land use for the site.

A formal request sent on 29 November 2016 by the Life After Coal Campaign and other environmental organisations to the South African Minister of Energy, seeking an extension for public comment on the Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update and demanding the release of critical supporting documents.