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February 12, 2024

Op Ed | State Capture: Professional enablers can and must be held accountable for their role

By Devi Pillay The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has recently announced that German software company SAP will pay R2.2 billion to South African state entities and government departments as restitution…

Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
The Public Procurement Bill is deficient and dangerous Parliament’s National Assembly has passed the Public Procurement Bill, sending it to the National Council of Provinces. This Bill is among the…

Statement on Israel’s siege on Gaza, 2023

| News | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) joins the international call for an end to the indiscriminate and unprecedented bombardment of Gaza — a permanent ceasefire, return of all hostages and…

Conference | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations | 25 & 26 Oct

| Conferences, Events, News, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
Welcome to PARI and CASAC's conference on the implementation of the Zondo Commission recommendations. The aim of the conference is to keep the Commission’s work alive in the public imagination,…

Gallery | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference

| Conferences, Gallery, Multimedia, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
Images by Bram Lammers Photography DAY 1 DAY 2

Enhancing Accountability | The COMPACT Programme

| Compact, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
The COMPACT Programme, led by PARI in collaboration with SALGA and Integrity Action was showcased in this short video. This film was made for the launch of the European Union…

Session by session recordings | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference

| Conferences, Events, Multimedia, State Capture, State Reform, videos, webinars, Zondo | No Comments
The Implementing State Capture Recommendations Conference was held jointly by PARI and CASAC on 25 and 26 October 2023 in Johannesburg. READ MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE Watch the individual sessions…

Research Workshop Seminar Series 2023

| Academic Programme, Events, Featured, News, Seminars | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute launches the second round of the workshop series to offer scholars, researchers and postgraduate students an opportunity to share their ongoing work, either by discussing…

Op Ed | Gauteng’s response to homelessness is a temporary solution to a structural problem

| Academic Programme, News, OIS, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
Photo 47630336 © Louise Rivard | Dreamstime.com Gauteng’s response to homelessness is a temporary solution to a structural problem By Noluthando Ngcobo, OIS Masters student The Gauteng Department of Social Development…

Watch | Pillay: It’s difficult to prosecute state capture cases

| Conferences, News, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
Researcher for State Reform programme at the Public Affairs Research Institute Devi Pillay says many of the justice and crime fighting institutions in SA have themselves been victims of state…

Livestream | State Capture Commission Conference

| News, State Reform | No Comments
The 'Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations' Conference is hosted by PARI and CASAC, partnering with the University of Johannesburg and News24, on 25 and 26 October 2023. The livestream can…

Report | State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying challenges to oversight and proposing solutions

| News, Publications, Reports, State Reform | No Comments
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Parliament is required by the constitution to “scrutinise and oversee executive action”: the key function of the system of separation of powers built into our democracy. The importance…

Watch | Bill to Regulate Public Procurement

| Multimedia, News, State Reform, videos | No Comments
On 11 September, eNCA spoke to PARI Research Associate in the State Reform programme, Ryan Brunette, to understand more about why the new Public Procurement Bill, that was introduced to…

PARI hosts the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks

| Conference, Energy Governance, Featured, Gallery, Multimedia, News | No Comments
For week of the 4th to 8th of September, PARI hosted more than 25 delegates of the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks (INETTT) in Johannesburg. INETTT is a…

Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
The PRWG believes the Public Procurement Bill is flawed and some critical changes still need to be made. "...public concerns must be addressed before the current draft is passed by…

Book launch at UP | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened

| Books, Events, News, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
The University of Pretoria’s Centre for the Advancement of Scholarship (CAS) cordially invites you to the book launch of State Capture in South Africa: How and Why it Happened  with…

PARI signs an MoA with University of Johannesburg

| Academic Programme, News | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is excited to announce its affiliation with the University of Johannesburg (UJ) to ground its academic programme. PARI and UJ have entered into a…

WATCH | Financial Incentives and Whistleblowing in South Africa

| Multimedia, News, Public Policy, State Reform, webinars | No Comments
1 August 2023 Facilitated by Jonathan Klaaren (PARI/Wits) with speakers: Steven Powell (ENSAfrica) Sopé Williams-Elegbe (Stellenbosch University) Carika Fritz (Wits University) Ryan Brunette (PARI/CUNY) This webinar is to support discussion…

Annual Report 22/23

| Annual Reports, News, Publications | No Comments
The Year In Review The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is in a new phase and it is stronger than ever before to carry out its mandate of shaping change…

Op Ed | Explosion of a decaying city: Defects of Joburg’s poor urban management revealed

| Local Govt, News, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
Image: Thabo Mhambi / Bree Street, Johannesburg Thina Nzo | Explosion of a decaying city: Defects of Joburg's poor urban management revealed The rapid urbanisation and population density in Johannesburg…

Watch | State Capture Book Launch in Joburg

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18 July 2023 Rosebank, Johannesburg Mbongiseni Buthelezi and Peter Vale (eds) are in conversation with some of the authors of "State Capture in South Africa: How and why it happened";…

Book launch | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why it Happened

| Books, Events, Featured, News, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
Mbongiseni Buthelezi will be facilitating conversations with some of the authors of the new book, State Capture in South Africa. The launches are set to happen at Exclusive Books in…

Research Workshop Series 2023

| Academic Programme, News, Seminars | No Comments
Call for proposals for the second round of seminars A multidisciplinary approach to the study of the state and civil society in the African continent and beyond. The Public Affairs…

A Tell-All Book About State Capture

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Devi Pillay chats to Newzroom Afrika about the new Wits University Press publication State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened, edited by PARI's Research Mentor Peter Vale…

Statement | First Anniversary of the Release of the State Capture Commission Report

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
22 June 2023 Today marks a year since Chief Justice Zondo delivered the Report of the Commission on State Capture to President Ramaphosa marking the end of a 4-year long…

Report | The Case of Alfred Nzo District Municipality

| Local Govt, News, Publications, Reports | No Comments
SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY CAPACITY BUILDING FOR LOCAL CSOs IN RURAL MUNICIPALITIES TO STRENGTHEN LOCAL GOVERNANCE: THE CASE OF ALFRED NZO DISTRICT MUNICIPALITY ABSTRACT The research provides an insight into the way…

Webinar | Urban-Rural Renewable Energy Transition in Germany and South Africa

| Energy Governance, Events, Local Govt, Multimedia, News, webinars | No Comments
6 June 2023 The webinar will look at how energy transition policies in Germany reproduce uneven development between urban and rural territories, and draw parallels to South Africa's REIPP programme,…

Watch | Municipal audits: Why are the numbers still so low and who is to blame?

| Local Govt, Media, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
4 June 2023 Thina Nzo contributed to a panel on eNCA's On the Spot with Lukhona Mnguni discussing DPME's role in assisting municipalities with monitoring and oversight to be able…

Watch | Care and Basic Universal Electricity

| Academic Programme, Multimedia, News, Seminars, webinars | No Comments
18 May 2023 The third seminar in the Care Economy Series. Electricity is crucial to ease the burden of care provision. In Africa, as documented in The Africa Care Economy…

Watch | SA Police Not Fit For Purpose

| Featured, Media, Multimedia, News, State Reform, videos | No Comments
SABC News, 3 May 2023: Findings of a report compiled by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) on the South African Police Service (SAPS) has concluded, that the country's police…

Seminar | Care Economy Series

| Events, News, Public Policy, Seminars, State-Society Relations | No Comments
Care economy as economic democracy With the Covid-19 pandemic, conversations around the care economy have become more common. Around the world, however, few governments have actually increased investment in the…

Watch | Day 2 on the beat for Gauteng’s new crime prevention wardens

| Multimedia, News, Op Ed, State Reform, videos | No Comments
May 2, 2023 Devi Pillay chats to Stephen Grootes on Newzroom Afrika the day after Gauteng’s new crime prevention wardens, with just two months training, started their new jobs. Devi's…

Watch | Universal Healthcare in South Africa

| Academic Programme, Multimedia, News, Seminars, webinars | No Comments
20 April 2023 The second seminar in the Care Economy Series. The Africa Care Economy (ACE) Index elaborates socialised healthcare in its fifth metric, underlining that public healthcare is the…

Op Ed | The police are not only failing to keep us safe, they are failing in almost every aspect of their duty

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
Photo 91721708 / Police South Africa © Nerisha Ray Singh | Dreamstime.com By Devi Pillay Not only are the police themselves often responsible for violence and criminality, but since 2009,…

WATCH | Between Vision and Reality: Navigating the JETPs in three countries

| Energy Governance, Events, Featured, Multimedia, News, webinars | No Comments
18 April 2023 Speakers from the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks (INETTT) discuss the status quo and challenges in planning and implementing a just energy transition in their…

Webinar | Between Vision and Reality

| Energy Governance, Featured, News | No Comments
Between Vision and Reality: Navigating the JETPs in South Africa, Indonesia and Vietnam Speakers from South Africa (PARI), Indonesia (IESR), and Vietnam (VIETSE) will discuss the status quo and challenges…

Op Ed | Failure to Boot Cele Betrays Public Safety

| Featured, News, Op Ed, State Reform | No Comments
Photo 194995760 / Police South Africa © Nerisha Ray Singh | Dreamstime.com By Niren Tolsi President Cyril Ramaphosa, unsurprisingly, didn’t boot ineffectual Police Minister Bheki Cele out of his cabinet…

Press Statement | Civil Society Demands Clarity and Transparency in Emergency Procurement

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
Statement drafted by members of the Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG). The PRWG was formed in 2020, in response to a sense from experts in the field of procurement reform…

Watch | Coalition administration challenges in municipalities

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
On 15 March 2023, Newzroom Afrika hosted an insightful discussion about Good Governance Africa's urgent call for an independent panel to look into improving South Africa's framework around party coalitions…

SA Launch of the Africa Care Economy Index

| Academic Programme, Events, Multimedia, News, Seminars, webinars | No Comments
15 March 2023 The Africa Care Economy Index is presented by Dr Salimah Valiani, author of the Index and Research Associate at the Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of…

Webinar | Who pays the price of state capture?

| Multimedia, News, State Reform, webinars, Zondo | No Comments
PARI's Devi Pillay participated in this Open Secrets webinar on 16 February 2023: Who pays the price for State Capture? Look around and we see a strained fiscus, rolling blackouts,…

Launch | COMPACT – My Municipality

| Compact, Events, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
PARI's COMPACT programme is formally launching today, 16 February 2023, at Emperor's Palace in Johannesburg, courtesy of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) partners. The following video shows COMPACT busy…

Seminar | The Privatised State

| Academic Programme, News, Seminars | No Comments
Chiara Cordelli, author of The Privatised State, will be presenting her book at the PARI seminar, followed by a discussion. The book was a focus of PARI's reading group in 2022. For…

Op Ed | The (un)making of mayoral leadership behind coalition city governments

| Local Govt, News, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
Photo 163653453 / South Africa © Hakan Can Yalcin | Dreamstime.com By Thina Nzo First published in the Mail and Guardian The ousting of the City of Johannesburg mayor Mpho…

Watch | The Impact of Loadshedding on Municipal Services and Finances

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, webinars | No Comments
Eskom has declared that load shedding stages 2 to 4 will be implemented over the next two years. PARI's Local Government programme hosted a panel to discuss the medium to…

Podcast | Coalition chaos — why we must hold elected politicians accountable

| Multimedia, News, podcasts | No Comments
PARI's Co-Director Lindiwe Ndlela talks about coalition politics on this Sunday Times podcast: "The latest local authority elections have been hailed as an indicator of the rapidly waning influence of…

Welcome | New Intern Jabu Hlatshwayo

| News | No Comments
PARI happily welcomes our intern, Jabu Hlatshwayo. Jabu graduated with an Honours degree from our Organisational and Institutional Studies programme in 2022. He is currently situated in the Land Governance…

Op Ed | Social Justice Assembly gathers to address multiple crises facing SA

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
By Mbongiseni Buthelezi and Nontando Ngamlana First published in The Daily Maverick It feels as though Stage 6 rolling blackouts will be the death of us all. Scheduled blackouts symbolise…

Op Ed | The dangers and limits of the DA’s high court attempt to abolish cadre deployment

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
Photo 147050604 / South Africa © Vanessa Bentley | Dreamstime.com By Ryan Brunette First published in  Daily Maverick I have argued before that the practice of political appointments in public…

Watch | Is the ANC still a good fit for a democratic South Africa?

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Enca : Jan 19, 2023 Is the ANC still a good fit for a democratic South Africa? Thina Nzo senior researcher from PARI responds to the question.

Op Ed | Transnet turns a new leaf, but there are many cracks in the system

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
Photo 85499083 / South Africa © Peter Titmuss | Dreamstime.com By Tshegofatso Mathe Commissioned by PARI, first published in Mail and Guardian Over the past 18 months, state-owned ports and…

Op Ed | Shortcomings of SA’s commuter railways worsen by the day

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
Photo 251224702 / South Africa © Paul Quinn | Dreamstime.com By Dennis Webster Commissioned by PARI, first published in Business Live System’s problems are not measured by the distance between…

Research Seminar | Presentation 6

| Academic Programme, Gallery, News | No Comments
17 November 2022 14h00 – 15h30   Maputaland’s Ecosystem of Crime: The weight of history Presenter  : Clive Poultney Discussant : Constance Galeo Mogale Abstract The paper looks at the…

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 5

| Academic Programme, Gallery, News | No Comments
10 November 2022 14h00 - 15h30   The making, unmaking and remaking of the public service – with case studies from the Covid19 pandemic. Presenter  : Lisa Seftel Discussant :  Alex…

South Africa Needs Civil Servants Who Are Capture-Proof

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
By Sarah Meny-Gibert The single biggest key to fighting corruption and stabilising our administration is to change the process by which top public servants are hired – and in doing…

Introducing the Social Justice Assembly

| Civil society organisations, News | No Comments
Call for applications: Social Justice Assembly After years of consultation and planning, representatives from across the social justice sector will gather on 26 & 27 January 2023 in Pretoria, South…

CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
Thursday 27 October 2022   Civil Society Working Group on State Capture (CSWG) Statement:  President’s response to Zondo Commission’s State Capture report must be followed by decisive action.  On the 23rd…

Watch | Phalatse Skating on Thin Ice Despite Court Victory

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Newzroom Afrika: Despite a court judgement setting aside the Johannesburg council special meeting that ousted Dr. Mpho Phalatse as mayor, it seems Phalatse has little chances of winning votes should…

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 3

| Academic Programme, Gallery, News | No Comments
13 October 2022 14:00 -15:30 pm   Legislative Initiatives and Provisions on Traditional Leader’s Role in South Africa: Imperatives and Implications   Presenter  : Shimreisa Chahongnao Discussant : Dineo Skosana…

Watch | More political activity expected in Gauteng

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Newzroom Afrika: Sep 5, 2022 Gauteng is set to become a hive of political activity this week as Joburg opposition parties prepare to remove the mayor Mpho Phalatse. Gauteng premier…

Watch | Ramaphosa calls on councils to behave

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Newzroom Afrika: Sep 28, 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa has again called on municipal workers to behave better at local government and in councils. He was speaking at the Local Government…

State Capture Commission Conference Page

| Events, News, State Capture, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) held a conference on  the 14th and  15th of September 2022 to engage meaningfully…

Op Ed | Universal access to electricity is the critical development intervention that SA needs

| Energy Governance, News, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
Image: Bram Lammers / Dunoon informal settlement, Cape Town By Tracy Ledger In many households, a choice must be made each month between electricity or food. No matter which option…

Gallery | State Capture Commission Conference

| Conferences, News, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
The State Capture Commission conference was held at University of Johannesburg over 14 and 15 September, hosted by PARI and CASAC. The seven panels aimed at understanding and finding the…

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 2

| Academic Programme, Gallery, News | No Comments
29 September 2022 14h00 - 15h30 The people’s perspective of public participation in infrastructure and housing provision in South Africa: evidence from a factorial survey experiment   Presenter: Katrin Hofer…

WATCH | Devi Pillay weighs in on the Zondo Commission report

| Multimedia, News, State Reform, videos, Zondo | No Comments
Calling in to Newzroom Afrika from PARI/CASAC's State Capture Commission conference, Devi Pillay discusses the role of law enforcement agencies in state capture, based on her OpEd titled : Zondo…

Hungry for Electricity: A new PARI publication

| Books, Energy Governance, News, Publications | No Comments
Hungry for Electricity is a new book by Tracy Ledger and Mahlatse Rampedi arguing for universal access to electricity in South Africa. We think we are free today but we…

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 1

| Academic Programme, Gallery, News | No Comments
13 September 2022 14h00 - 15h30 Extractive industry indigenisation, unfulfilled pledges and mining-induced displacement vulnerabilities: The case of internally displaced persons in Arda Transau, Zimbabwe Presenter: Kennedy Manduna Discussant: Dr…

Op Ed | Zondo Commission’s Missed Opportunity on Role of Law Enforcement Agencies in State Capture

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
By Devi Pillay   The Zondo Commission missed an important opportunity to fully contextualise the evidence concerning law enforcement and to analyse its role in State Capture. More work needs…

SA FM features Mbongiseni Buthelezi

| Media, Multimedia, News | No Comments
Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi was featured on Michelle Constant's breakfast show on 22 August 2022, and brought in PARI researcher Thina Nzo and CASAC Director Lawson Naidoo. Listen below for a…

Seminar Series | Researching State-Society Relations in Southern Africa

| Academic Programme, News, Seminars | No Comments
In September 2022, The Public Affairs Research Institute is launching a workshop series to offer scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students an opportunity to share their ongoing work, either by discussing…

Watch | Corruption is not the only issue impacting service delivery, says Ledger

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Newzroom Afrika - 22 August 2022 - Although corruption at municipal level is a major issue affecting service delivery, Public Affairs Research Institute's Tracy Ledger believes it is not the…

Gaynor Paradza gives keynote address at University of Ghana

| Conferences, Land, News | No Comments
Senior Researcher Gaynor Paradza leads PARI's Land Governance programme. She is in Accra on 17 August to give a keynote address at the Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa…

Press Statements | In Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats

| Civil society organisations, News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
PARI has issued and endorsed press statements in support of SERI SA and SAITF in light of hate speech, cyberbullying and incitement of violence by Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu, party representative…

Op Ed | Public administration reform is critical after a pliant civil service greased the wheels of State Capture

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform, Zondo | No Comments
By Devi Pillay   The Commission of Inquiry into State Capture has proven that there is an urgent need to professionalise South Africa’s public administration. The commission’s recommendations provide a…

Compact | New Recruits to a Brand New Programme

| Compact, HR & Vacancies, News | No Comments
We are excited to introduce new members to the PARI team who are working on a soon-to-launch programme: Compact. Compact is a four-year project implemented by the Public Affairs Research…

Meet our new Head of Programmes

| HR & Vacancies, News | No Comments
PARI is pleased to welcome Lindiwe Ndlela as the new Head of Programmes. Lindiwe has dedicated her career to supporting institutional and leadership development for elected and appointed government officials.…

Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change

| Civil society organisations, News, State Reform | No Comments
PARI is a signatory of the following Defend Our Democracy declaration: Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change as adopted on 2 July 2022 at the Birchwood Hotel…

Op Ed | Covid-19 Informal Settlement

| Local Govt, News, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
By Thina Nzo While the coronavirus lockdown exacerbated the pre-existing spatial inequalities and the housing crisis in Cape Town, it contributed to the growth of informality and its symbiotic relationship…

Watch | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on the fifth state capture report

| Multimedia, News, State Reform, videos | No Comments
SABC Morning Live: Today the country awaits the fifth and final installment of the State Capture Report following a delay that drew public criticism, prompting the presidency to issue a…

Watch | Thina Nzo: A metro-by-metro analysis

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
On 20 June 2022,  Newzroom Afrika looked at the state of municipalities - and particularly the metros. The political problems in some metros - look at the instability in Nelson…

Vacancy | Communications Assistant

| HR & Vacancies, News | No Comments
Photo 31102610 © Pressureua | Dreamstime.com APPOINTMENT OF A COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT   Closing date for applications:   17 June 2022   The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is looking for a…

Op Ed | KZN Floods: The dangerous cocktail of traditional authorities and local government

| Land, Local Govt, News, Op Ed, Publications, traditional leaders | No Comments
Photo 57214329 © | Dreamstime.com By Mbongiseni Buthelezi Traditional leaders assign land giving little consideration to spatial planning for long-term, sustainable settlement. People are settled in places unsuitable for human…

Vacancy | Senior Researcher

| HR & Vacancies, LGPPP, News | No Comments
Photo 105070128 / Vacancy © Kiosea39 | Dreamstime.com APPOINTMENT OF A SENIOR RESEARCHER TO SUPPORT AN EU FUNDED PROJECT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION   This is a…

Request for EOI | Change Management Expertise

| HR & Vacancies, LGPPP, News | No Comments
Photo 177558893 / Change Management © Etiamos | Dreamstime.com Request for Expression of Interest   APPOINTMENT OF 'CHANGE MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE' Closing date for applications: 23 MAY 2022 The Public Affairs…

PARI Launches a Research Workshop Series

| Events, News, Seminars | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute is launching a workshop series to offer scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students an opportunity to share their ongoing work, either by discussing work in progress…

Listen | Injustice and Inequality in SA’s Food System

| Food security, Multimedia, News, podcasts | No Comments
CapeTalk's Refilwe Moloto interviewed Tracy Ledger on 29 March 2022 about the ingrained injustices and monopolies in our food system. 'These inequities are ingrained in our food system, according to…

Webinar | Celebrating Women in the Land Sector

| Land, News | No Comments
On 24 March 2022, PARI's Land Programme Lead, Gaynor Paradza, participated in a webinar titled Women's Land Rights: Celebrating the Role of Women in the Land Sector: Reflecting on Experience,…

Watch | Should local officials’ pay be tied to performance?

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, podcasts | No Comments
The Watch Dog, SABC 1, interviewed Local Government Programme Lead Thina Nzo on 8 March 2022 about the proposal for local councillors to be paid according to their performance evaluations.…

Watch | Fixing Municipal Finances

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
The Watch Dog, SABC 1, interviewed PARI's Local Government Programme Lead Thina Nzo on 4 March 2022 about what it would take for municipalities to deliver on their promises. Catch…

Memorandum: State of the Nation Address – The People’s Voice

| Civil society organisations, News, State Reform | No Comments
9 February 2022   We, the undersigned organisations, express serious concern about the state of our nation.   Tomorrow, President Cyril Ramaphosa will report back to the country about what…

Op Ed | The Zondo Report’s Recommendations Must Be Implemented Yesterday

| News, Op Ed, Publications, State Reform | No Comments
By Ryan Brunette, Jay Kruuse and Tharin Pillay The Zondo report is an impressive undertaking. Drawing on 400 days of hearings and 1.7 million pages of documentary evidence, it is…

Listen | State Capture Report: Accountability and Rebuilding the Procurement System

| Multimedia, News, podcasts, State Reform | No Comments
Mbongiseni Buthelezi participated in an analysis of Part 1 of the State Capture report on Radio 786 Prime Talk, 2 February 2022: South Africans are paying severely for what appears…

CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
Monday 24 January 2022 Civil Society Working Group on State Capture: Statement – Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report On the 4th of January 2022, the State Capture Inquiry (the…

Press statement: Collective Call to Stop Attacks on Migrants

| News, Press release, State Reform | No Comments
Press Statement 23 January 2022 Collective call to stop attacks on migrants We, the undersigned organisations, are gravely concerned at the recent targeting of migrants in their homes and at…

PARI and WITS research featured in state capture report

| News, State Reform | No Comments
The "Judicial Commission of Inquiry into State Capture Report: Part 1 Vol. 1: South African Airways and its Associated Companies" was released on 4 Jan 2022.  We congratulate PARI and…

Podcast | This Is OIS

| Multimedia, News, OIS, podcasts | No Comments
This Is OIS is a journey into the research topics and methodologies of the students of OIS - Organisational and Institutional Studies at Wits University.Episode 5: What's behind poor service…

Vacancy | Programme Lead / Senior Researcher

| HR & Vacancies, News | No Comments
APPOINTMENT OF A PROGRAMME LEAD / SENIOR RESEARCHER TO SUPPORT AN EU FUNDED PROJECT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Closing date for applications: 8 December 2021 The Public…

Vacancy | Senior Project Coordinator / Administrator

| HR & Vacancies, News | No Comments
APPOINTMENT OF A SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR/ADMINISTRATOR, TO SUPPORT AN EU FUNDED PROJECT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT PLANNING AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION Closing date for applications:  8 December 2021 The Public Affairs Research…

Watch | Coalition Talks Following Local Elections

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
Local Government lead, Thina Nzo, spoke to Newzroom Afrika on 8 November 2021. 'So there are coalition negotiations underway around the country in different ways - the ANC’s national working…

Watch | Corruption and Governance in Local Government

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, webinars | No Comments
Dr Tracy Ledger, Lead of PARI's Energy and Society programme, participated in this webinar hosted by the Mail&Guardian. Streamed live on Oct 25, 2021 • The Auditor-General’s reports of the…

WATCH | Has access to basic services enabled transformation or entrenched poverty?

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) has released a report on its investigation of the provisions of basic municipal services to low-income households in South Africa. Overwhelmingly the poorest 50%…

We need a ‘Food First’ approach to basic municipal services and not use them as a source of local government revenue

| Local Govt, News, Op Ed, Publications | No Comments
By Tracy Ledger First published in Daily Maverick, 4 Oct 2021 Municipal services (electricity, water and sanitation) are intended to be a tool to reduce poverty and inequality. Providing services…

Listen | Basic services costs take food off the table

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, podcasts | No Comments
Based on the Access to Basic to Services report, Tracy Ledger chats to Chai FM about how basic services costs are making South African households poorer, most importantly at the…

WATCH | Sophie’s Choice for Many South Africans

| Local Govt, Multimedia, News, videos | No Comments
It's Sophie's choice for many South Africans who must choose between water and electricity, or food. Dr Tracy Ledger shared the findings in her latest research report with eNCA on…