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This report examines the patterns of forced migration from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to South Africa, focusing on the demographic shift toward a young, educated, middle-class population. It details the social dislocation these migrants face, moving from professional status in the DRC to survivalist roles in the South African informal economy, and the defensive ethnic networks they form to navigate a hostile urban environment.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the nature, impact, and service delivery responses to violence against women in South Africa. Based on interviews with 1,000 survivors across nine provinces, the study analyzes economic, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, highlighting the normalization of domestic violence and the systemic failures of police, medical, and legal services in providing effective support and protection.

This report from the Institute for Security Studies examines the intersection of HIV/AIDS and policing in South Africa, the perceptions of personal security in Soweto townships, the 'sieve effect' of the criminal justice system's conviction rates, and crime trends within the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality.

This collection of articles from SA Crime Quarterly No 8 (June 2004) examines various aspects of the South African criminal justice system, including the legality of lethal force in property defense, police accountability and misconduct monitoring, strategies for local crime prevention through by-laws, national victimisation trends, the application of the Domestic Violence Act by magistrates, and the operational mandate and independence of the Directorate of Special Operations (the Scorpions).

This monograph examines the evolution, legislative framework, and operational challenges of municipal policing in post-apartheid South Africa. It details the transition from apartheid-era township policing and traditional traffic departments to the establishment of modern Municipal Police Services (MPS) under the South African Police Service Amendment Act No 83 of 1998, focusing on the experiences of major cities like Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town.

This research paper evaluates the effectiveness of court specialisation in South Africa, focusing on the Specialised Commercial Crime Court (SCCC) in Pretoria. The author argues that the court's success is not derived from its specialised status, but from the deep integration of investigators from the SAPS Commercial Branch and prosecutors from the Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU). The document distinguishes between 'court specialisation' (statutory parallel courts) and 'court dedication' (reserving resources within existing courts), suggesting the latter is more practical and less risky. While the SCCC shows high conviction rates and efficiency, the author cautions that these results are influenced by high-quality personnel, private sector support from Business Against Crime, and the co-location of staff, making the model difficult to replicate universally.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies examines the evolution of partnership policing from community policing, focusing on its application in South Africa and comparing it with international models. It argues that partnership policing is an independent model based on a 'multi-agency approach' where police, the public, and government agencies share responsibility for community safety.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes major demographic, economic, technological, urban, and socio-political transitions in Africa through 2035. Using the International Futures forecasting system, the authors highlight a general positive trend but warn that rapid population growth, fragile democratic foundations, and infrastructure gaps may compound poverty and instability if not addressed by strategic governance and investment.

This policy brief by the Omega Research Foundation, published by the Institute for Security Studies in June 2016, examines the manufacture and trade of electric shock devices in South Africa. It argues that a lack of trade controls on these devices—including stun belts, shields, and batons—facilitates torture and ill-treatment, contradicting South Africa's constitutional and international human rights obligations. The document details the activities of South African companies exporting these devices globally and recommends a comprehensive ban on body-worn and hand-held direct contact electric shock equipment.

This document is the preface and introduction to Volume I of the Towards Collaborative Peace (TCP) project series, published by the Institute for Security Studies. It examines the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Southern Africa and their role in fostering a 'culture of violence' that undermines democracy, security, and socio-economic development. The project employs a south-south comparative approach, contrasting Southern African trends with those in the southern part of South America to propose regional and local mechanisms for weapons control.

Natural Justice, a non-profit organization, submitted comments on the Land Court Bill [B11 – 2021] to the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Correctional Services. The organization supports the establishment of a specialist Land Court and Land Court of Appeal to address the failures of the previous Land Claims Court, but recommends amendments to the composition of the judiciary to ensure contextual expertise is not lost.

This research paper by Ivor Chipkin of the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) analyzes the shift toward 'tyranny' under the presidency of Jacob Zuma in South Africa. The author argues that the Zuma administration's move toward lawlessness and 'state capture' was driven by a political project called 'Radical Economic Transformation,' which viewed the South African Constitution as an obstacle to economic change. The paper details efforts to control the media, weaken state institutions, and the subsequent emergence of a rejuvenated civil-society coalition that used litigation and political mobilization to defend constitutional democracy.

This document provides biographical profiles of speakers associated with ZondoCon 2023, featuring a diverse group of South African legal experts, government officials, academics, journalists, and civil society activists. The profiles highlight professional backgrounds in anti-corruption, constitutional law, public finance, and governance, with several individuals having direct ties to the Zondo Commission and state capture investigations.

The report summarizes dialogues on enhancing South African state capacity, highlighting the need for a $250 billion energy transition, the professionalization of the public service to reduce political interference, and the urgent need to address municipal infrastructure backlogs and the legacies of state capture.

This report documents the proceedings of a conference titled 'Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State', held on 23 October 2019 in Johannesburg. Hosted by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), the event brought together civil society representatives and academics to analyze the effects of state capture in South Africa and propose reforms to insulate the public service from political interference. The report details discussions on the findings of various commissions of inquiry, strategies for state reform, the role of 'lawfare', parliamentary oversight, and public advocacy, culminating in a 'Civil Society Charter' that outlines a collective commitment to rebuilding democratic institutions.

This report by the Public Affairs Research Institute analyzes the financial and operational crisis facing South African municipal electricity distribution and proposes integrating existing rooftop solar PV and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as a pathway to reduce bulk costs and improve reliability.

The Transnet Inquiry Reference Book, authored by the Public Affairs Research Institute, provides a fact-based account of governance failures and systemic corruption at Transnet, South Africa's state-owned freight transport and logistics company. The report details how the company's governance was repurposed to facilitate large-scale corruption and rent-seeking, primarily benefiting the Gupta family and their associates through manipulated procurement processes for locomotives, cranes, and IT services.

This case study examines the challenges of pharmaceutical procurement and regulatory harmonisation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. It highlights how fragmented registration policies, weak regulatory capacity, and intellectual property barriers hinder access to essential medicines for treating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and non-communicable diseases. The document emphasizes South Africa's pivotal role due to its advanced pharmaceutical sector and regulatory framework, while noting that political and economic interests often obstruct regional integration.

This policy brief analyzes the barriers to technology transfer from Chinese telecommunications equipment providers, specifically Huawei and ZTE, to South African companies. Based on fieldwork conducted in 2015, the author identifies three primary obstacles: the rise of managed services contracts, challenges regarding the legitimacy and professionalism of Chinese firms, and a weak institutional and regulatory framework in South Africa.

This research paper examines the potential for establishing a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) hybrid Centre of Specialisation (CoS) to support South Africa's Green Hydrogen Economy (GHE). It analyzes systemic failures in the current vocational skills development system—including declining enrolments, poor throughput rates, and a disconnect between curricula and industry needs—and evaluates the existing CoS model and pilot programs (Bambili and NBI) to provide recommendations for a demand-led, flexible skills strategy for the green transition.