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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that the South African government's R500-billion Covid-19 rescue package has been inadequately implemented, with only about one-third of the funds materialising. The IEJ asserts that economic recovery is impossible without first providing comprehensive rescue and relief, calling for the abandonment of austerity measures by the National Treasury to support income, jobs, businesses, and health infrastructure.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the South African government's strategy to mobilize up to R1 trillion in private sector financing for infrastructure via an Infrastructure Fund over 10 years. The document critiques the 'de-risking' mechanisms used to attract private capital—such as blended finance, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and the conversion of infrastructure into asset classes—arguing that they often transfer excessive risk to the public fiscus and may fail to deliver developmental outcomes.

This fact sheet, published by the Institute for Economic Justice, SECTION27, and the Center for Economic and Social Rights, examines South Africa's social protection systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. It evaluates the government's response against the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), highlighting failures in providing an adequate standard of living, food security, and housing, while detailing recommendations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) criticizes the 2020 Medium Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), arguing that it undermines economic recovery from COVID-19 through planned expenditure cuts and a failure to provide sufficient social relief.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues for the extension and increase of COVID-19 special grants in South Africa to prevent a humanitarian crisis. It highlights that the economy has not recovered as expected, leaving millions at risk of hunger and destitution if the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant and Caregivers Allowance expire in October 2020.

This research paper by the International Labour Organization (ILO) provides a rapid assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on South Africa's economy and labour market, emphasizing the disproportionate effect on disadvantaged groups and the need for a sequenced policy response based on the ILO's four-pillar framework.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a managed reopening of the South African economy that prioritizes worker safety, social equity, and state-led support. Key recommendations include democratizing workplace health protocols, expanding income support through a universal Basic Income Guarantee, increasing public health infrastructure in townships, and implementing a robust fiscal stimulus package to rescue and transform the economy.

The Budget Justice Coalition (BJC) issued a statement on 20 July 2020 condemning the unrest in South Africa, attributing the violence to a combination of food and economic insecurity, state weakness, and political factionalism. The BJC argues that government austerity measures and the termination of COVID-19 relief grants exacerbated poverty and hunger, contributing to the instability.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) analyzes the Supplementary Budget tabled on 24 June 2020, arguing that it fails to deliver the R500 billion COVID-19 rescue package promised by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 21 April 2020. The IEJ asserts that the budget provides a net increase to non-interest spending of only R36 billion, representing less than 1% of GDP, and plans a further R230 billion reduction in spending over the next two years.

A submission by 120 economists and researchers to the Standing Committee on Finance recommending the rejection of the Supplementary Budget tabled on 24 June 2020, arguing that it fails to implement President Cyril Ramaphosa's R500 billion COVID-19 rescue package.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) evaluates the R500 billion COVID-19 rescue package announced by President Ramaphosa on 21 April 2020. The IEJ concludes that the government's support measures have failed, citing poor implementation, bureaucratic hurdles, and significant underspending, with an estimate that only around a quarter of the total package had been spent by June 2020.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes an emergency rescue package for South Africa to mitigate the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. The IEJ argues that the government's proposed R41 billion package is insufficient and recommends an initial injection of at least R310 billion, plus R100 billion in short-term financing, to offset GDP contraction and support households and businesses.

This research note by the Institute for Economic Justice argues for bold, decisive economic interventions in South Africa to mitigate the social and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors propose a four-pronged strategy focusing on supporting households, protecting workers, sustaining businesses, and transforming the economy to be more equitable and sustainable, while warning against the use of austerity-based reprioritisation to fund these measures.

This research note estimates that South Africa has a fiscal income multiplier of 1.68 and an employment multiplier of 6.9 based on 2018 data. The authors conclude that the R48 billion spending cuts proposed in the 2020 Budget are counter-productive and likely to reduce GDP by R81 billion and destroy 330,000 jobs.

This fact sheet, published by the Institute for Economic Justice, SECTION27, and the Center for Economic and Social Rights, examines the South African government's obligation to use the 'maximum available resources' to protect social and economic rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. It contrasts the recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) with the government's actual fiscal responses, arguing that austerity measures and insufficient revenue mobilization have undermined the rights to healthcare, education, and social security.

This 2020 fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment and labor precarity in South Africa. It analyzes the situation through the lens of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), specifically the rights to work and just conditions of employment, highlighting how the pandemic exacerbated existing systemic inequalities and the inadequacy of government relief measures.

This statement, published by the Institute for Economic Justice in 2020, calls on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cease promoting austerity measures and instead adopt policies that prioritize gender justice, inequality reduction, and climate resilience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report argues against maintaining lower National Minimum Wage levels for domestic workers, farmworkers, and expanded public works programme (EPWP) workers, stating there is no compelling evidence to justify this disparity.

A meeting report detailing a three-day symposium held in Dakar, Senegal, in September 2019, focused on challenging dominant neoclassical economic orthodoxies in Africa. The event, co-hosted by TrustAfrica and the Institute for Economic Justice, brought together academics, policymakers, and activists to analyze the impact of neoliberal policies and develop heterodox, rights-based alternatives for development and economic justice.

This document is a submission by the Budget Justice Coalition to the Select and Standing Committees on Finance, providing a five-year review of budget policies and outcomes. It examines budgeting trends, their impact on health and education as components of the social wage, and the role of Parliament's oversight in budget decision-making, while offering recommendations for increased public participation in the budget process.