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The paper critiques South Africa's current administrative procurement system as being too rigid for complex projects and prone to corruption. It proposes a strategic approach that empowers accounting officers, integrates specialist technical functions, and shifts integrity oversight from restrictive rules to stronger enforcement and transparency mechanisms.

The submission argues that several proposed amendments to the Public Service Regulations undermine accountability and the fight against corruption. Key objections include the withdrawal of prohibitions on public servants doing business with the state and the removal of reporting obligations for executive authorities. The authors propose strengthening oversight by requiring the publication of organizational structures and human resource plans on department websites, increasing prohibition periods for employees dismissed for misconduct, and ensuring the Auditor-General is notified of law enforcement referrals.

The report details a conference focused on the slow implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations. Key discussions highlighted failures in parliamentary oversight, the need for a dedicated anti-corruption agency for public procurement, and the structural flaws of state-owned enterprises. It emphasizes that while the Presidency claims progress in legislative reform and criminal investigations, civil society and legal experts argue that systemic corruption requires a broader approach beyond mere prosecution, including incentivised whistleblowing and a fundamental shift in political culture.

The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture (CSWG) welcomes the South African government's acceptance of the Zondo Commission's findings on state capture and the President's commitment to reforms in procurement, whistle-blower protection, and the depoliticisation of law enforcement appointments. However, the CSWG disputes the President's claim that state capture is "in the past," arguing that corruption remains pervasive and that the response plan fails to address enabling political factors or provide concrete actions against implicated members of the national executive. The group further criticises the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill for lacking accountability and calls on Parliament to develop its own implementation plan to improve oversight of the Executive.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) hosted a conference on September 14-15, 2022, to analyze the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. The conference focused on enhancing state and private sector accountability through themes such as public procurement reform, whistle-blower protection, and the strengthening of governance institutions in South Africa.

The Zondo Commission concluded that state capture occurred on an 'extensive scale' in South Africa, characterized by a network of public and private actors who systematically redirected state resources for private gain. The Commission estimated that approximately R57 billion in public funds were 'tainted' by state capture, with the vast majority originating from Eskom and Transnet. Key mechanisms included the manipulation of procurement processes, strategic appointments of complicit officials, and the weakening of law enforcement and oversight bodies. The report recommends the prosecution of high-profile individuals, the recovery of funds, and sweeping institutional reforms to public procurement, SOE appointments, and the electoral system.

The report details a conference hosted by PARI and CASAC to examine the Zondo Commission's findings on state capture in South Africa. It identifies systemic failures across Parliament, public procurement, and personnel practices, while proposing the creation of an independent anti-corruption agency and stronger whistleblower protections. The document emphasises that 'greed on steroids' and institutional deficiencies enabled state capture, and calls for a coordinated effort between government, civil society, and the private sector to implement reforms and ensure accountability.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and a coalition of civic organisations condemn Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu of ActionSA for hate speech, xenophobia, and doxing directed at the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI). The statements highlight that these actions followed a successful court application by SERI and SAITF to reverse the illegal eviction of informal traders from the De Villiers trading precinct. The signatories argue that such behaviour by an elected official violates the Constitution and the POPI Act, and they call for the City of Johannesburg and ActionSA to condemn the threats of violence.

This research paper examines the internal organisational structures of South African national government Cabinet departments between 2009 and 2021, analyzing how inter-departmental expansion and political leadership influenced internal unit growth.

The Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change, adopted on 2 July 2022, asserts that South Africa's constitutional democracy is under threat from corruption and state capture. It proposes a 'new politics' based on social and climate justice and outlines a programme of action focusing on electoral reform, public service professionalisation, and the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations. The document resolves to transform the 'Defend our Democracy Campaign' into a popular movement to oversee these goals.

The study tracks the internal machinery of seven South African Cabinet departments from 2009 to 2021. It finds an aggregate expansion in internal organisational units that peaked around 2018/19, coinciding with the presidency of Jacob Zuma, before declining under Cyril Ramaphosa. While most departments are dominated by externally-oriented specialist portfolio units, the research indicates that internal structural changes are generally not triggered by ministerial reshuffles. Furthermore, the creation of public entities (agencification) did not lead to a corresponding reduction in the internal functions of Cabinet departments.

The author contends that energy poverty in South Africa persists because the government defines 'access' solely as a physical grid connection, ignoring the critical barriers of affordability and reliability. While electricity is essential for small-scale economic activity, education, and health, the current cost-recovery model and an inadequate Free Basic Electricity policy trap low-income households in poverty. The document calls for a national policy shift to establish clear affordability benchmarks to prevent electricity infrastructure from becoming stranded assets and to unlock broader development goals.

The memorandum expresses serious concern over South Africa's stability, citing the July 2021 unrest, failing municipal services, and high youth unemployment. It calls for the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations to fight corruption, the protection of whistleblowers, and the introduction of a basic income grant to support the poor.

The Civil Society Working Group on State Capture welcomes the first report of the Zondo Commission, specifically praising its recommendations on whistle-blower protection. The group argues that state capture has severely compromised human rights, including health care and education, and urges the National Prosecuting Authority, parliament, and professional bodies like SAICA and IRBA to take decisive action to hold corrupt individuals and corporations accountable.

A collective of South African organisations expresses grave concern over the targeting of migrants in homes and workplaces, warning that political calls for forced removals could trigger widespread xenophobic violence similar to the 2008 events. The statement argues that migrants are used as scapegoats for systemic issues like corruption, state failure, and pandemic-exacerbated unemployment. It calls for the South African Police Services to act against vigilantism, the government to initiate a national dialogue, and the implementation of the National Action Plan to Combat Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance. The authors note that anti-migrant sentiment is a global phenomenon and highlight that climate change and political instability will necessitate a human-rights-based approach to migration.

The document describes a qualitative study on women's land inheritance in Lesotho, examining the complexities introduced by legal pluralism through the analysis of statute, custom, and practice.

The report identifies a critical gap between South Africa's progressive water and sanitation policies and the actual delivery of services, which is hindered by systemic weaknesses, financial instability, and a lack of infrastructure maintenance. It argues that current efforts to improve outcomes focus too heavily on technical skills training while ignoring structural flaws in the local government fiscal framework and the erosion of Free Basic Services (FBS). The document recommends that the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) utilize Section 63 of the Water Services Act to enforce delivery standards, reform the infrastructure maintenance funding model, and adopt a co-production model for community participation.

The study examines how the decentralisation of education governance to SGBs under the South African Schools Act of 1996 functions in practice. It finds that in underperforming schools in KwaZulu Natal, SGBs are often ineffective due to low parental participation, significant capacity deficits, and a tendency for principals to dominate decision-making. While SGBs have legal powers over teacher appointments and financial oversight, these are often undermined by political influence, lack of training, and a reactive approach to support from district officials. The paper concludes that the current system of governance is ineffective in underperforming schools, which increases the administrative burden on principals and fails to strategically improve learner outcomes.

This report examines whether the current model for providing basic municipal services—specifically electricity, water, and sanitation—to low-income households in South Africa is effectively improving living standards and reducing poverty and inequality.

This report by Thina Nzo examines the failure of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement (REIPPP) programme to deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits to the eMthanjeni Local Municipality and its host communities, arguing that the current centralised policymaking approach reproduces structural disempowerment.