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This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) analyzes the implementation of the Promotion of Access to Information Act, 2000 (PAIA) in South Africa between January 2010 and August 2014. It details the challenges in accessing environmental governance and management records from government departments, parastatals, and private bodies, highlighting a trend of using the protection of third-party commercial information to refuse requests.

The National Environmental Compliance & Enforcement Report 2013/14 provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). It details statistics on criminal and administrative enforcement, compliance monitoring across 'brown' (pollution/waste) and 'green' (biodiversity) sectors, and specific case studies involving industrial facilities and wildlife crime, particularly rhino poaching.

The Pixley Ka Seme District Spatial Development Framework (2013-2018) provides a strategic spatial plan for a region in the Northern Cape, South Africa, characterized by vast landscapes and significant socio-economic challenges. Key priorities include leveraging the SKA project in Carnarvon, developing a renewable energy hub (particularly solar), and optimizing transport corridors (N1, N8, N10, N12) and the Orange River corridor. The plan emphasizes sustainable water management in a water-scarce region, the promotion of Karoo-based agro-tourism, and the integration of local municipalities to foster economic growth and poverty eradication.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes potential electoral outcomes and political scenarios for South Africa for the period 2014 to 2029. It explores four primary pathways—'Bafana Bafana', 'The Future is ANC', 'The Rise of Multiparty Democracy', and 'A Nation Divided'—evaluating how factors such as ANC leadership, trade union splits (specifically NUMSA and COSATU), and youth voter apathy influence economic growth and poverty levels.

This policy brief examines South Africa's energy transition and its strategic international partnerships. It highlights the country's reliance on coal while pursuing a target of 30% clean energy for new capacity by 2025. The document details South Africa's role as a regional energy hub via the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and its complex relationship with the EU, which balances broad strategic partnerships with specific bilateral cooperation and South-South engagements (BRICS, IBSA).

This 2014 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes the energy efficiency sector in South Africa, focusing on standards, legislation, financial incentives, and specific markets including solar water heaters, energy-saving lighting, and embedded generation.

The National Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Report 2014-15 provides a comprehensive overview of the activities of South Africa's Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI), known as the 'Green Scorpions'. The report details the growth of EMI capacity, national compliance and enforcement statistics, legislative developments, and specific operational outcomes across the 'green' (biodiversity), 'brown' (pollution and waste), and 'blue' (marine and coastal) sectors. It highlights a significant increase in the number of designated inspectors and a focus on high-risk areas such as rhino poaching and industrial pollution.

The 2014 Blue Drop Report evaluates the performance of 1,036 drinking water supply systems across South Africa's Water Services Authorities (WSAs) for the 2013 calendar year. While microbiological compliance is high, the national average Blue Drop score declined from 87.6% in 2012 to 79.6% in 2014, and the number of systems achieving Blue Drop certification dropped from 98 to 44. The report highlights critical needs for improvement in chemical compliance, water use efficiency, and asset management across various provinces.

The 2014 Green Drop Progress Report, published by GreenCape, provides a national overview of wastewater treatment performance in South Africa. It utilizes the Progress Assessment Tool (PAT) to track the Cumulative Risk Rating (CRR) of municipal, public, and private wastewater treatment plants, highlighting a general trend of increasing risk across the sector between 2013 and 2014.

The 2014 Market Intelligent Report: Waste Economy by GreenCape provides an analysis of the waste sector in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It details the regulatory shift from 'end of pipe' to 'cradle to cradle' solutions, examines the challenges of waste-to-energy and recycling projects, and outlines municipal initiatives to manage dwindling landfill airspace.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) provides a detailed critique of the proposed Technical Regulations for Petroleum Exploration and Exploitation published by the South African Minister of Mineral Resources on 15 October 2013. The CER argues that the regulations are non-binding guidelines rather than enforceable laws, lack sufficient environmental impact assessment requirements, and fail to provide for meaningful public participation or access to information. The document suggests that fracking-specific regulations should be promulgated under a broader suite of environmental laws, including NEMA, NEMWA, and the National Water Act, rather than solely under the MPRDA.

This research paper evaluates the 2012 Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector in South Africa, examining its ability to address the challenges of poverty alleviation and marine resource sustainability. Through a case study of the coastal community of Hamburg in the Eastern Cape, the author analyzes the failures of previous co-management attempts and the ongoing struggle of small-scale fishers to obtain commercial fishing rights.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill, 2013. The CER criticizes the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for failing to meaningfully consult civil society and mining-affected communities, identifies numerous drafting errors in the Bill, and provides detailed legal objections to proposed changes concerning environmental authorizations, penalty regimes, and the granting of mining rights.

A joint submission by five environmental organisations to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Amendment Bill [B15-2013]. The submission argues that the Bill and the principal Act fail to protect constitutional rights to fair administrative action and access to information for parties affected by mining.

The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA), represented by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), filed an internal appeal to the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) on 26 July 2013. The appeal challenges the DMR's refusal to grant access to records regarding seabed prospecting rights and strategies in South Africa's territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which the DMR claimed would substantially and unreasonably divert its resources.

This research paper examines the global significance of Rare Earth Elements (REEs), China's dominant market position and strategic export restrictions, and South Africa's role in establishing non-Chinese supply chains through specific mining projects.

The 2012 State of the Nation Address by President Jacob G Zuma outlines a 'massive infrastructure development drive' designed to combat the 'triple challenge' of unemployment, poverty, and inequality in South Africa. The address details strategic investments in transport, mining, and social infrastructure, while reporting on progress in job creation, education, and land reform.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) maps the investment landscape of South Africa as of January 2012. It examines the impact of the global economic crisis on foreign direct investment (FDI), analyzes the government's industrial policies such as the New Growth Path (NGP), and provides a detailed catalogue of financial and fiscal incentives designed to attract investment and create jobs. The document also includes survey results from provincial investment promotion agencies (IPAs) regarding the effectiveness and awareness of these incentive schemes.

This report, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesizes the findings of the IPCC's SREX report specifically for African policymakers. It examines the interaction between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and disaster risk management (DRM), emphasizing that disaster risks in Africa are increasing due to both climate change and socio-economic factors such as rapid urbanization and poor governance. The document provides regional observations and projections for temperature and precipitation extremes across Africa and advocates for the integration of DRM and climate change adaptation into national development planning to build long-term resilience.

This 2012 report synthesizes the IPCC SREX findings for Africa, highlighting that disaster risk is increasing due to higher exposure of vulnerable populations. It details observed and projected increases in temperature and dryness across various sub-regions, warns that current extremes will become the 'new normal' by 2100, and emphasizes the high vulnerability of the agricultural sector and coastal cities. The document advocates for a shift from reactive to proactive, transformational disaster risk management that integrates local knowledge, high-level political leadership, and international financial support.