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The document examines the challenges of integrating informal land rights into South Africa's formal deeds registry, which is based on Western private property logic. It argues that simplistic titling efforts often fail or increase insecurity for the poor, and discusses the limitations of existing statutory protections and the potential of the Deeds Registries Amendment Bill of 2022.

This report discusses the restructuring of South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) into two separate entities—the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Department of Electricity and Energy—following the formation of a Government of National Unity. It outlines the roles these new departments must play in managing the coal phase-out, the growth of renewable energy, and the sustainable mining of minerals required for the green economy.

PARI supports measures to increase transparency in coalition governments, such as public voting for office bearers and public coalition agreements, and the introduction of a 1% vote threshold for council seats. However, it expresses caution regarding the mandatory shift from mayoral to collective executive systems in non-majority councils, citing risks of administrative paralysis and loss of accountability. The submission also recommends extending the appointment period for office bearers from 14 to 30 days and strengthening legislative protections for municipal administrations against political interference in procurement and staffing.

The report finds that the DMRE has exhibited significant reluctance to lead South Africa's just energy transition (JET), often viewing it as a 'western imposition'. This resistance is rooted in the historical minerals-energy complex (MEC) and a desire to protect vested interests in the coal sector and black industrialist projects. The document highlights a lack of policy articulation, poor stakeholder engagement, and internal organizational incoherence caused by repeated mergers and splits. It recommends that the successor departments—Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and Electricity and Energy—improve transparency, update the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) regularly, and align the transition with the post-apartheid racial transformation agenda.

A policy brief by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) arguing that South African municipalities must rapidly deploy renewable energy solutions to ensure low-cost electricity and economic recovery, noting that nuclear options are significantly more expensive and slower.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) supports the Public Service Amendment Bill for shifting HR and appointment authority from executive authorities to departmental heads and barring senior public servants from political office. However, PARI argues the Bill is insufficient to fully implement the 2022 Professionalisation Framework, as it lacks enough checks and balances to prevent political corruption in the appointment of Heads of Department (HoDs) and subsequent procurement decisions.

The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture (CSWG) evaluates the Zondo Commission's impact, praising its exhaustive evidence gathering but criticising its failure to quantify the social costs of corruption and its uneven focus on private sector actors. The report calls for urgent reforms in law enforcement, public procurement, and public administration to ensure accountability and prevent future state capture.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) critiques the Public Procurement Bill 2023, asserting that it fails to create a coherent regulatory architecture and risks unconstitutionality by separating general procurement systems from preferential procurement policies. PARI argues that the Bill's new provisions on 'set-asides' and 'prequalification' are poorly defined and may disrupt state operations. The submission proposes returning Chapter 4 to NEDLAC for consultation and suggests several amendments to enhance the powers of the Public Procurement Office, improve the disclosure of beneficial ownership, and establish incentivised whistleblowing mechanisms.

The JSR argues that the Public Procurement Bill (B18B-2023) relies on an ineffective 'administrative paradigm' rather than a 'strategic contracting paradigm'. The submission highlights significant constitutional risks, particularly regarding the removal of price as a required criterion for tenders and the conflation of preference categories. It calls for the independence of regulatory functions from the National Treasury, the introduction of incentivized whistleblowing, and the adoption of open contracting standards to combat corruption and ensure value for money.

The submission supports the Public Service Commission Bill 2023's goal of enhancing the impartiality and independence of the PSC, particularly regarding local government and public entities. However, it identifies two critical gaps: the lack of a framework for appointing the head of the PSC and the absence of a role for the PSC in supporting the appointment of senior administrative staff to ensure a stable political-administrative interface.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and University of Johannesburg provide comments on the draft White Paper for Human Settlements 2023, highlighting gaps in property market regulation, climate strategy execution, and the risks posed by Eskom debt relief to basic service delivery in South Africa.

The document serves as a manual for citizen monitors under the COMPACT project, a joint initiative by PARI, SALGA, and Integrity Action funded by the European Union. It outlines a six-step monitoring journey designed to improve service delivery—with a specific focus on water and sanitation—by training citizens to oversee municipal projects, engage stakeholders, and resolve issues through constructive dialogue. The guide provides detailed instructions on using KoboToolbox for data collection, exercising the right to information under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), and implementing safety protocols (HEVOO) during site visits.

The document outlines the Citizen-Based Monitoring (CBM) approach, a six-step process designed to improve local government accountability in South Africa. It provides practical instructions for trained monitors on engaging stakeholders, accessing public information via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), and using KoboToolbox for data collection. The guide emphasizes non-confrontational engagement, safety protocols, and the use of Joint Working Groups to resolve identified service delivery issues, with a particular focus on water and sanitation infrastructure.

The document serves as a manual for community monitors under the COMPACT project, a collaboration between PARI, SALGA, and Integrity Action funded by the European Union from February 2022 to January 2026. It outlines a six-step monitoring process designed to increase local government accountability and improve service delivery, specifically focusing on water and sanitation. The guide details how to engage stakeholders, use the KoboToolbox app for data collection, and exercise legal rights to access information via the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). It also provides technical checklists for monitoring water infrastructure projects and strategies for conflict resolution and communication with government officials and contractors.

The document evaluates the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations in South Africa, focusing on systemic reforms rather than individual prosecutions. It finds that while some legislative progress has been made—such as the NPA Amendment Act and the Public Procurement Act—many critical recommendations regarding parliamentary oversight, the independence of law enforcement, and the protection of whistleblowers have been ignored or insufficiently addressed. The report highlights a persistent gap between procedural compliance and the deep structural changes needed to prevent future state capture.

The research paper defines a 'transition effective state' as one capable of identifying and solving community-priority problems through co-production—a collaborative process where affected citizens are active partners in policy design. Evaluating South Africa's Just Energy Transition (JET), the authors find that current state capabilities are low because the government relies on 'tick-box' public participation and 'isomorphic mimicry' of international best practices rather than locally-driven solutions. Fieldwork in Mpumalanga reveals critical policy gaps, including the invisibility of the informal coal value-chain, the loss of community services provided by Eskom and mines, and water scarcity. The paper concludes that rigid budgeting and entrenched administrative habits hinder progress, recommending the development of detailed co-production guidelines and pilot projects focusing on water and community asset management.

The workshop report details discussions on the progress of South Africa's recovery from state capture, highlighting systemic obstructions in law enforcement, the need for institutional independence, and proposals for a new Office of Public Integrity. It emphasizes the role of grassroots activism and the necessity of reforming public procurement and local government governance to prevent 'state capture 2.0'.

The research paper assesses the capacity of the South African state to implement a just energy transition (JET), concluding that current state capacity is low due to a reliance on top-down, 'tick-box' public participation rather than genuine co-production. It defines a 'transition effective state' as one capable of identifying and solving community-priority problems through collaborative, context-specific processes. Fieldwork in Mpumalanga reveals that critical issues—such as the informal economy's dependence on coal, water rights, and the loss of corporate social investment services—remain invisible in national policies. The author recommends developing detailed guidelines for co-production and applying them to specific gaps in the JET framework to build legitimacy and ensure social equity.

The Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG) criticizes the Public Procurement Bill 2023, asserting that it was rushed through Parliament with inadequate consultation and contains flaws that could amplify corruption and economic instability in South Africa. The group highlights the erosion of integrity provisions, the failure to implement Zondo Commission recommendations, and the introduction of a vague preferential procurement chapter that may lead to operational chaos and litigation.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of hostages, and the provision of humanitarian aid. The organization condemns both the Hamas attacks of 7 October and Israel's 'disproportionate retaliation', which it argues hinders a viable solution to the conflict. PARI further condemns the denial of essential resources to Palestinians and expresses solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against 'apartheid conditions'.