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The 2003 National Victims of Crime Survey in South Africa, conducted by the Institute for Security Studies, provides a comprehensive analysis of crime levels, public perceptions of safety, and the performance of the criminal justice system. The survey indicates a slight decline in overall victimisation rates compared to 1998, though housebreaking increased. It highlights a significant gap between public perceptions—which often overestimate the prevalence of violent crime—and the reality of non-violent property crime. The report also documents widespread petty corruption, declining feelings of safety, and a reliance on state protection despite mixed views on police and court performance.

This December 2003 issue of Crime Quarterly, published by the Institute for Security Studies, provides a multi-faceted analysis of crime trends and policing strategies in South Africa. It examines 2002/3 crime statistics, the investigation of farm attacks, the implementation of sector policing, the rise of gated communities via private security, social crime prevention, judicial processes for firearm unfitness, and the emergence of methamphetamine on the Cape Flats.

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 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.

This document is a draft written reply from the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs to a National Assembly question (No. 2928) asked by Mr G R Morgan (DA) on 23 September 2011. The reply addresses the submission of corrective action plans by municipalities and water service authorities that performed inadequately in wastewater service management according to the 2011 Green Drop Report.

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.

The Legal Resources Centre (LRC), representing a coalition of civil society, labour, and community organisations, submitted a series of formal requests to the South African Parliament and Presidency between March 2014 and February 2015. The LRC challenged the constitutionality of the Mining and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill (MPRDAB) and the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Bill, arguing that the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) and provincial legislatures failed to facilitate reasonable public participation. The documents detail specific concerns regarding the removal of community participation rights in mining, the discretionary nature of water use licenses, and the influence of industry lobbying over legislative changes.

This report provides a risk and vulnerability assessment of water resources in the Limpopo Water Management Area (WMA) of South Africa. It analyzes current water resource stresses, observed and projected climate trends, and the resulting vulnerabilities to ensure sustainable water management.

This guide, produced by the Centre for Environmental Rights and Lawyers for Human Rights, provides information for communities and individuals in South Africa on their environmental and legal rights when facing proposed mining activities. It details the mandatory government permissions, consultation processes, and legal avenues available to affected parties to protect their land, water, and health.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) evaluates the environmental compliance monitoring and enforcement (CME) performance of the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) between the 2017/18 and 2018/19 financial years. Based on information obtained via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), the CER concludes that the DMRE's capacity to monitor and enforce environmental laws at mines remains "woefully inadequate," citing a severe shortage of qualified inspectors and a general decline in inspection activity across most provinces.

This document is a PAIA Manual issued by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). It provides a comprehensive guide for the public on how to exercise their constitutional right of access to information held by the Department, in accordance with the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) and the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

This document is a PAIA Manual issued by the South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). It serves as a guide for the public to exercise their constitutional right of access to information held by the Department, detailing the types of records available, the process for requesting them, and the protections afforded to personal information under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

This report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) evaluates the air quality, health, and economic impacts of the proposed Lephalale Coal Mine (LCM) and its associated independent power plant (IPP) in South Africa. The analysis identifies significant underestimates in a previous environmental impact assessment (EIA) and projects substantial premature deaths, morbidity, and economic losses over the project's 35-year lifecycle, particularly if coal is burnt at existing power plants lacking emission controls.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) provided joint submissions on 18 July 2012 regarding the National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Bill, 2012. The document offers a detailed critique of proposed amendments to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the Biodiversity Act, and the Air Quality Act, focusing on environmental governance, criminal liability, and the rights of traditional communities.

This guide outlines the criteria and risk assessments for mining activities within high-importance biodiversity priority areas. It establishes a rigorous set of filters and a risk-averse approach to determine if mining is an optimal land use compared to the preservation of critical ecosystems and water resources.

This industry brief by GreenCape examines the service delivery crisis in South Africa's low-income communities and proposes Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) as a sustainable, community-led paradigm shift to bridge gaps in water, sanitation, energy, and waste management.

This joint submission by the Center for Economic and Social Rights, the Institute for Economic Justice, and SECTION27 argues that South Africa is implementing retrogressive austerity measures that threaten economic, social, and cultural rights. The authors contend that the government's focus on debt reduction is based on exaggerated concerns and that resources could be maximized through progressive tax reform and the eradication of corruption and 'state capture'. The document details how budget cuts and inefficient resourcing are severely undermining the public health and basic education systems, leading to critical staff shortages, infrastructure backlogs, and poor learner outcomes.

This fact sheet, produced by the Institute for Economic Justice and SECTION27, analyzes budget trends in South Africa's basic education sector. It argues that austerity measures have led to a real-terms decline in per-learner funding, resulting in critical infrastructure failures, particularly regarding school sanitation and support for learners with disabilities, despite the constitutional right to basic education.

This research paper finds that approximately half of the target population for South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is excluded, with an average of 76% of those excluded being eligible. The study identifies that rapid digitalization and automation, lacking transparency and oversight, create systemic barriers to application, verification, payment, and appeal. These barriers disproportionately affect those already marginalized by digital, financial, and spatial inequalities, leading to severe hardship and hunger.