Annual Report 23/24
The Year In Review The past year has been the most notable at PARI, featuring our largest budget and a record number of publications. We released two significant edited volumes…
News @ PARI
The latest news from and about our organisation
Please join us on 12 September to launch a new PARI report Transitions: The role of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa's just energy transition by…
Image: Photo 110592237 | Lead Behind © Yuryz | Dreamstime.com Advertisement EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Closing date for applications: 31 August 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is…
Image: Photo 196513746 © Mykola Sosiukin | Dreamstime.com Advertisement ADVOCACY COORDINATOR & RESEARCHER in PARI’s State Reform Programme Closing date for applications: 31 August 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute…
Image: Photo 16543980 © Maeroris | Dreamstime.com Advertisement RESEARCHER Closing date for applications: 31 August 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is seeking to appoint a suitable…
This animation was produced by the Energy Transition programme at the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI). Download the full policy brief: Rapid electricity supply diversification in municipalities is the key…
Monday, 29 July 2024 - The Director of the Public Affairs Research Institute, Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi has been appointed as the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Dr Buthelezi has…
The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), Society, Work and Politics Institute (SWOP), Gauteng City-Region Observatory (GCRO) and the Johannesburg Crisis: Concerned Academics*, launch a seminar series to offer scholars, researchers,…
Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg (2024) Princeton University Press Benjamin Bradlow is Assistant Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University, appointed in both…
This seminar is a presentation by Prof. James Chakwizira, University of Venda / NorthWest University on 16 July 2024 at 2pm, at PARI's offices in Forest Town. The title of…
Hungry for Electricity is a groundbreaking book by Tracy Ledger and Mahlatse Rampedi arguing for universal access to electricity in South Africa. It is now available in English and French,…
Pam Yako, representing the Association of former Directors-General (AfDG), talks to Newzroom Afrika about how the public administration in the Government of National Unity (GNU) should operate, just ahead of…
Image: 150012582 | Finance © Vetre Antanaviciute-meskauskiene | Dreamstime.com Advertisement HEAD OF FINANCE Closing date for applications: 12 July 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is seeking to appoint…
This seminar is a presentation by Dr Rachel King on 20 June at 2pm, at PARI's offices in Forest Town. Rachel King is Associate Professor in Cultural Heritage Studies at…
PARI's Director, Mbongiseni P. Buthelezi, contributes to the conversation how the Crux Alliance aims to support policy makers globally to achieve lower emissions and a safer climate future. PARI is…
The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy (Geneva Graduate Institute) is running a podcast series entitled Who is voting in 2024? This episode on South Africa looks at the South African…
Photo 252665390 | City Joburg © Brian Scantlebury | Dreamstime.com By Tracy Ledger The struggles that poor households face in paying for even small amounts of electricity are well-documented: in many households, electricity…
ID 161037019 © Lovelyday12 | Dreamstime.com By Tracy Ledger Rolling blackouts aren’t our only serious electricity problem. South Africa urgently needs additional sources of electricity that are as low-cost as…
A new Routlege publication edited by Federica Duca and Sarah Meny-Gibert. The collection examines state–society relations during the Covid-19 pandemic, from governance at the outset of the pandemic to vaccine…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Images by Bram Lammers Photography DAY 1 DAY 2
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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";…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
