The Procurement Reform Working Group:
Statement of Intent

The Procurement Reform Working Group (PRWG) is a South African coalition of civil society organisations, allied partners, researchers, and interested individuals concerned with public procurement integrity and efficacy in South Africa. The group provides a space for analysis, coordination and collective engagement on procurement law, policy and practice. PRWG brings together organisations with different mandates and sectors specific interests, but with a shared concern for how public money is spent and how procurement shapes state capability, service delivery, and public trust.

While much of PRWG’s work in recent years has centred on engaging with the Public Procurement Act and related legislative processes, its common purpose extends to concern with the broader development of a procurement system that is more transparent, more effective, less vulnerable to corruption, and better able to serve constitutional government and public need.

The group has been concerned with how procurement information is disclosed, how decisions are monitored, how institutions are equipped to carry out their responsibilities, and how the system can be made more intelligible and more workable, including via support from civil society.

PRWG is not a coalition built around a single uniform position on every issue. It is a working group that allows organisations to compare analysis, identify common ground and coordinate where collective intervention is useful. Where shared positions emerge, it can support common reference points, collective inputs and public statements. Where emphasis differs, it still provides a forum for exchange and informed debate. Core members of the group are included below, but participants are free to join and contribute where and when they can.

For more information about the group, contact Thabisop@pari.org.za

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By Thokozani Chilenga-Butao Abstract South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) should have a key role in the just energy transition. It has been a regulator and policymaker…
PublicationsState ReformWorking PapersWorking Paper | Checking Political Discretion in Recruitment to South Africa’s Public Administration
December 11, 2024

Working Paper | Checking Political Discretion in Recruitment to South Africa’s Public Administration

By Ryan Brunette Abstract As civil service reform comes onto the agenda in South Africa, this paper analyses the contemporary situation and suggests an approach to moving forward. Key to…
PublicationsWorking PapersWorking Papers citations list
December 10, 2024

Working Papers citations list

2024 Brunette, R. (2024) 'Checking Political Discretion in Recruitment to South Africa's Public Administration'. Working Paper No. 2. Johannesburg: Public Affairs Research Institute. Pearson, J. (2024) 'Reflections on the Role…
PublicationsReportsReport Citations list
December 10, 2024

Report Citations list

2024 Chilenga-Butao, T. and W. Holland (2024) 'Transitions: The role of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in South Africa's just energy transition'. A PARI report. Johannesburg: Public Affairs…
ConferencesGalleryMultimediaNewsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformGallery | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?
December 10, 2024

Gallery | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?

Images: Bram Lammers Photography
CompactLocal GovernmentPublicationsReportsReport | Public Participation and Municipal Planning in South Africa: A consolidated technical findings report on action research at 12 local municipalities
December 10, 2024

Report | Public Participation and Municipal Planning in South Africa: A consolidated technical findings report on action research at 12 local municipalities

The COMPACT project aims to enhance public participation and planning in 12 partner municipalities in South Africa. This report consolidates and synthesises the research findings from across the 12 municipalities…
NewsMedia Statement | PARI appoints a new Executive Director
December 2, 2024

Media Statement | PARI appoints a new Executive Director

Media Statement 2 December 2024 PARI appoints a new Executive Director The Public Affairs Research Institute's Board of Directors is  delighted to announce Dr Sithembile Mbete as PARI’s new Executive…
Land GovernancePolicy briefs and resourcesPublic PolicyPublicationsPolicy brief | Review of Traditional Authority Customary Land Management Practices in Limpopo Province of South Africa
November 25, 2024

Policy brief | Review of Traditional Authority Customary Land Management Practices in Limpopo Province of South Africa

This policy brief explores the municipal–traditional authority nexus through the lens of land development applications. By focusing on how traditional authorities handle land applications, the brief provides an insight into…
Land GovernancePolicy briefs and resourcesPublic PolicyPublicationsPolicy brief | What are the challenges of incorporating the diverse land rights of the majority of South Africans into the existing formal land registration system?
November 25, 2024

Policy brief | What are the challenges of incorporating the diverse land rights of the majority of South Africans into the existing formal land registration system?

The apartheid legacy of imposing an exclusive private property regime, thereby rendering indigenous forms of tenure invisible, continues to contribute to the high levels of poverty on the continent, and…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformAddressing systemic corruption: a state-building project
November 25, 2024

Addressing systemic corruption: a state-building project

Image: Bram Lammers Photography, State Capture Commission Workshop, Johannesburg   By Lawson Naidoo and Sarah Meny-Gibert Corruption, Paul Pretorius emphasised at a recent workshop on the State Capture Commission, is…
JoburgJust TransitionNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Empty promises: The struggle for equitable access to water
November 21, 2024

Op Ed | Empty promises: The struggle for equitable access to water

Image: Bram Lammers/Bram Lammers Photography for PARI By Tracy Ledger Despite the Constitution and the progressive pro-poor promises, administrative practices have largely abandoned this approach and instead focused on a…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewspodcastsListen | Improving revenue collection in municipalities
November 19, 2024

Listen | Improving revenue collection in municipalities

Local Government Programme Lead Jugal Mahabir joined a conversation with Lerato Mbele (Power FM), Minister of CoGTA Velenkosini Hlabisa and Lerato Phasha, Head of Municipal Finances at SALGA on 11…
JoburgJust TransitionNewsPublicationsReportsReport | Empty Promises: The struggle for equitable access to water in South Africa
November 18, 2024

Report | Empty Promises: The struggle for equitable access to water in South Africa

By Tracy Ledger Water is essential to human existence and wellbeing: access to sufficient, clean water is central to sanitation, human health and quality of life. This  was recognised as…
NewsUncategorizedLivestream | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?
November 13, 2024

Livestream | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?

Watch the livestream of What Now Since the State Capture Commission? Deliberation and feedback on the priority issues from the Zondo Commission that civil society needs to watch. November 15,…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPublic Comment | Public Service Commisson Bill
November 11, 2024

Public Comment | Public Service Commisson Bill

Public Comment on the Public Service Commission Bill Issued by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and The Ethics Institute November 2024 PARI and the Ethics Institute (TEI) submitted comment…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformZondo Commission | Where do we stand in 2024?
November 7, 2024

Zondo Commission | Where do we stand in 2024?

This document sets out the progress on commitments made by the executive and legislature concerning the Zondo Commission recommendations. It is an update of a document published by PARI in…
Land GovernancePublicationstraditional leadersWorking PapersWorking Paper | Reflections on the Role of Traditional Authorities in Land Governance in 21st Century South Africa
November 7, 2024

Working Paper | Reflections on the Role of Traditional Authorities in Land Governance in 21st Century South Africa

By Joel Pearson This working paper offers a survey of recent South African literature on the role of the chieftaincy in issues of land administration and governance. It does so…
ConferencesEventsFeaturedNewsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformWorkshop | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?
November 7, 2024

Workshop | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?

Deliberation and feedback on the priority issues from the Zondo Commission that civil society needs to watch. More than two years ago, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of…
Academic EngagementEventsFeaturedJoburgNewsSeminarsUrban Crisis Seminar Series 2024
November 7, 2024

Urban Crisis Seminar Series 2024

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,…
Civil society organisationsPublicationsReportsSRP ResourcesState ReformCSWG | A Collective Civil Society Response to the Zondo Commission and the State Capture Report
November 5, 2024

CSWG | A Collective Civil Society Response to the Zondo Commission and the State Capture Report

The work of the Zondo Commission, which spanned over four years, laid bare the various networks of looters in the public and private sectors who have criminally enriched themselves at…
FeaturedJust TransitionLocal GovernmentMultimediaNewsPolicy briefs and resourcesvideosWatch | How to build a transition effective state
October 10, 2024

Watch | How to build a transition effective state

This animation was produced by the Just Transition programme at the Public Affairs Research Institute. It is a summary of the PARI report 'The Role of the State in a…
UncategorizedReport | The Role of the State in a Successful Just Transition: Defining the transition effective state
October 9, 2024

Report | The Role of the State in a Successful Just Transition: Defining the transition effective state

By Tracy Ledger To date, the details of how to build a transition effective state have received little attention in transition narratives, beyond narrow recommendations for an increase in certain…
Civil society organisationsMultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWorkshop | Engagement with South Africa’s 7th Parliament
September 30, 2024

Workshop | Engagement with South Africa’s 7th Parliament

Engagement with South Africa’s 7th Parliament: the country’s first grand coalition will result in new challenges and opportunities for oversight and lawmaking. Will the GNU result in more cooperation in…
FeaturedJust TransitionNewsPublicationsReportsReport | The Role of the State in a Successful Just Transition: Defining the transition effective state
September 30, 2024

Report | The Role of the State in a Successful Just Transition: Defining the transition effective state

By Tracy Ledger To date, the details of how to build a transition effective state have received little attention in transition narratives, beyond narrow recommendations for an increase in certain…
FeaturedJust TransitionNewsPublicationsReportsState ReformReport | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition
September 12, 2024

Report | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition

By Thoko Chilenga-Butao and Waseem Holland A month before the publication of this report, the President announced his new cabinet under a Government of National Unity – appointing two ministers…
Just TransitionMultimediaMultimediaNewsListen | Municipal Accounts: Relief for struggling households as the City of Ekurhuleni implements a 70% debt write-off
September 12, 2024

Listen | Municipal Accounts: Relief for struggling households as the City of Ekurhuleni implements a 70% debt write-off

Thabiso Tema on PowerFM speaks to Energy Transition Lead, Dr Tracy Ledger. Households that have been struggling to pay rates and taxes to the city of Ekurhuleni can now benefit…
Annual ReportsNewsPublicationsAnnual Report 23/24
August 30, 2024

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…
EventsJust TransitionMultimediaPublicationsReportsState ReformvideosReport Launch | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition
August 21, 2024

Report Launch | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition

On 12 September 2024, the State Reform programme launched a new PARI report Transitions: The role of the DMRE in South Africa's just energy transition in Illovo, Johannesburg. The panel…
FeaturedJust TransitionMultimediaNewsPolicy briefs and resourcesvideosWatch | Renewable energy will fix our economy now
August 6, 2024

Watch | Renewable energy will fix our economy now

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…
Academic EngagementSeminarsSeminar | Water Crisis in Johannesburg
August 2, 2024

Seminar | Water Crisis in Johannesburg

Please join us for a discussion of the ‘water crisis in Johannesburg’. The discussion will focus on the history and context of the crisis, as well as the role of…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublic PolicyState ReformPublic Comment | Local Government Municipal Structures Amendment Bill (‘Coalitions Bill’) 2024
August 2, 2024

Public Comment | Local Government Municipal Structures Amendment Bill (‘Coalitions Bill’) 2024

Submission of Public Comment to the Department of Cooperative Governance 30 July 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Local Government: Municipal Structures…
UncategorizedPolicy brief | Rapid electricity supply diversification in municipalities is the key to economic recovery, municipal financial sustainability and a permanent end to load shedding
July 30, 2024

Policy brief | Rapid electricity supply diversification in municipalities is the key to economic recovery, municipal financial sustainability and a permanent end to load shedding

This policy brief was developed by PARI’s Energy Transition programme, whose overarching goal is to contribute to the successful implementation of a Just Energy Transition (JET) in South Arica; a…
NewsPress releaseStatement | PARI’s Executive Director joins Nelson Mandela Foundation as CEO
July 29, 2024

Statement | PARI’s Executive Director joins Nelson Mandela Foundation as CEO

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…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsCall for Submissions | A multidisciplinary approach to the study of Urban Crisis: A focus on the City of Johannesburg
July 25, 2024

Call for Submissions | A multidisciplinary approach to the study of Urban Crisis: A focus on the City of Johannesburg

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,…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsSeminar | Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg
July 17, 2024

Seminar | Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg

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…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsSeminar | Towards Integrated Land Governance
July 15, 2024

Seminar | Towards Integrated Land Governance

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…
BooksJust TransitionNewsPublicationsHungry for Electricity: Now available in two languages
July 15, 2024

Hungry for Electricity: Now available in two languages

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,…
BooksPublicationsBooks and Book Chapters
July 14, 2024

Books and Book Chapters

BOOKS   Ledger, T. and M. Rampedi (2024) Soif d'Électricité. Johannesburg: Public Affairs Research Institute. Buthelezi, M. and P. Vale (eds) (2023) State Capture in South Africa: How and Why…
MultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWatch | AfDG: An impartial, professional public administration will take us forward
June 25, 2024

Watch | AfDG: An impartial, professional public administration will take us forward

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…
UncategorizedEnergy and Society
June 21, 2024

Energy and Society

Please go to https://pari.org.za/energy-transition/
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsSeminar | Preservation and Progress: Governing heritage and development in South Africa post-1994
June 13, 2024

Seminar | Preservation and Progress: Governing heritage and development in South Africa post-1994

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…
Just TransitionMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Crux Alliance: a global network of climate NGOs
May 31, 2024

Watch | Crux Alliance: a global network of climate NGOs

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…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewsSA PoliticsListen | Who is Voting in 2024? | South Africa: democracy and the promise of redistribution
May 23, 2024

Listen | Who is Voting in 2024? | South Africa: democracy and the promise of redistribution

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…
PublicationsReportsState ReformReport | AfDG State Capacity Dialogue Series
May 22, 2024

Report | AfDG State Capacity Dialogue Series

Over 2022 and 2023, PARI partnered with the Association of Former Directors-General to host a number of roundtable dialogues on the capacity of the state. These discussions brought together former…
Just TransitionNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Johannesburg’s electricity tariff trap for the poor
May 8, 2024

Op Ed | Johannesburg’s electricity tariff trap for the poor

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…
Just TransitionNewsOp EdPublicationsOp ed | Rapid municipal energy supply diversification will light way to a much brighter economy
May 3, 2024

Op ed | Rapid municipal energy supply diversification will light way to a much brighter economy

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…
Just TransitionLocal GovernmentPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsPolicy brief | Rapid electricity supply diversification in municipalities is the key to economic recovery, municipal financial sustainability and a permanent end to load shedding
April 18, 2024

Policy brief | Rapid electricity supply diversification in municipalities is the key to economic recovery, municipal financial sustainability and a permanent end to load shedding

This policy brief was developed by PARI’s Energy Transition programme, whose overarching goal is to contribute to the successful implementation of a Just Energy Transition (JET) in South Arica; a…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformSubmissions on the new Public Procurement Bill
April 11, 2024

Submissions on the new Public Procurement Bill

PARI and the Joint Strategic Resource (JSR) in NEDLAC have put forward a second round of respective submissions to the Standing Committee on Finance in the National Assembly, on the…
Academic EngagementBooksEventsMultimediaNewsPublicationsSeminarsvideosNew Book | State-Society Relations around the World through the Lens of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Rapid Test
March 27, 2024

New Book | State-Society Relations around the World through the Lens of the Covid-19 Pandemic: Rapid Test

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformStatement | The Public Service Amendment Bill does not go far enough
March 4, 2024

Statement | The Public Service Amendment Bill does not go far enough

Statement on the National Assembly’s passing of the Public Service Amendment Bill Issued by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) 29 February 2024 The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) welcomes…
Journal ArticlesLand GovernancePublicationsSpecial Issue | Current research and opinion on land governance for societal development in and on the Global South
February 26, 2024

Special Issue | Current research and opinion on land governance for societal development in and on the Global South

Lead of PARI's Land Governance programme, Gaynor Paradza, co-edited this Special Issue of Land Use Policy with Uchendu Eugene Chigbu, Romie Vonkie Nghitevelekwa and Michael Klaus. Titled Current research and…
Land GovernancePolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsComments on the Draft White Paper for Human Settlements 2023
February 26, 2024

Comments on the Draft White Paper for Human Settlements 2023

Human settlements are a critical component of rural and urban development. The importance of access to adequate housing is enshrined in Section 26 of the Constitution. While the various housing…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPublic submission to Parliament on the Public Service Commission Bill 2023
February 19, 2024

Public submission to Parliament on the Public Service Commission Bill 2023

PARI and The Ethics Institute welcome the Public Service Commission (PSC) Bill as a step towards ensuring the vision of public administration that is professional, effective, impartial and developmentally directed…
NewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | State Capture: Professional enablers can and must be held accountable for their role
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…
Local GovernmentPublicationsReportsInclusive and Decentralised Renewable Energy Development : Local government community inclusivity and readiness for green hydrogen development in Namakwa District Municipality
December 15, 2023

Inclusive and Decentralised Renewable Energy Development : Local government community inclusivity and readiness for green hydrogen development in Namakwa District Municipality

A report by Thina Nzo and Jugal Mahabir. The main objective of this research is to provide a critical assessment of the principle of inclusion and the readiness of host…
NewsPress releasePRWGState ReformStatement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023
December 12, 2023

Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023

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…
Press releaseStatement on Israel’s siege on Gaza, 2023
December 11, 2023

Statement on Israel’s siege on Gaza, 2023

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…
Academic EngagementBooksPublicationsState-Society RelationsBook | State-Society Relations Around the World through the Lens of the Covid-19 Pandemic
December 5, 2023

Book | State-Society Relations Around the World through the Lens of the Covid-19 Pandemic

PARI is delighted to announce the publication of the new book edited by Federica Duca and Sarah Meny-Gibert, State-Society Relations Around the World through the Lens of the Covid-19 Pandemic:…
ConferencePublicationsReportsState ReformConference Report | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations
November 29, 2023

Conference Report | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations

In October 2023, PARI and CASAC hosted a follow-up to last year's conference, 'Implementing the State Capture Commission Recommendations' — in Johannesburg and online — with the University of Johannesburg…
Local GovernmentPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPolicy brief | ‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here?
November 28, 2023

Policy brief | ‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here?

By Sarah Meny-Gibert and Ryan Brunette This policy brief focuses on delineating and stabilising the political administrative interface in local government in South Africa. Often framed in policy discussions as…
Land GovernanceLocal GovernmentPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsPolicy brief | Why indigenous land tenure security is a condition for indigenous community engagement
November 28, 2023

Policy brief | Why indigenous land tenure security is a condition for indigenous community engagement

By Gaynor Paradza and Jabu Hlatshwayo ABSTRACT Secure land tenure is a precondition to beneficial land occupation. Tenure security enables land holders to derive benefit from their land. Although they…
ConferencesEventsNewsSRP ResourcesState ReformConference | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations | 25 & 26 Oct
November 28, 2023

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

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,…
Local GovernmentPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPolicy brief | An Assessment of Local Government Revenues during Limited Economic Growth and a Constrained National Fiscus
November 12, 2023

Policy brief | An Assessment of Local Government Revenues during Limited Economic Growth and a Constrained National Fiscus

By Jugal Mahabir This policy brief undertakes an analysis of municipal revenues over a 12-year period, covering two major recessions (2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic), its aftermath…
ConferencesGalleryMultimediaSRP ResourcesState ReformGallery | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference
November 6, 2023

Gallery | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference

Images by Bram Lammers Photography DAY 1 DAY 2
CompactMultimediaNewsvideosEnhancing Accountability | The COMPACT Programme
November 2, 2023

Enhancing Accountability | The COMPACT Programme

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…
SRP ResourcesState ReformNews Coverage | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference
November 2, 2023

News Coverage | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference

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 Click on the links…
ConferencesEventsMultimediaSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformvideoswebinarsSession by session recordings | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference
November 2, 2023

Session by session recordings | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference

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…
Academic EngagementEventsFeaturedNewsSeminarsResearch Workshop Seminar Series 2023
November 2, 2023

Research Workshop Seminar Series 2023

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…
Academic EngagementNewsOISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Gauteng’s response to homelessness is a temporary solution to a structural problem
October 30, 2023

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

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…
ConferencesNewsSRP ResourcesState ReformWatch | Pillay: It’s difficult to prosecute state capture cases
October 27, 2023

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

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformDiscussion Document | Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations: Taking stock of progress and charting a way forward
October 23, 2023

Discussion Document | Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations: Taking stock of progress and charting a way forward

Overview The Zondo Commission provided strong evidence of state capture and detailed insight into how state capture was organised and facilitated by persons in both the public and private sectors.…
NewsState ReformLivestream | State Capture Commission Conference
October 23, 2023

Livestream | State Capture Commission Conference

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformSubmission on the Draft National State Enterprises Bill
October 18, 2023

Submission on the Draft National State Enterprises Bill

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and Corruption Watch welcome the opportunity to comment on this draft of the National State Enterprises Bill. State-owned enterprises play a significant role in…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsSchool GovernanceJournal article | “Mutual Accommodation”: Clientelist Politics in South African School Education
October 9, 2023

Journal article | “Mutual Accommodation”: Clientelist Politics in South African School Education

By Sarah Meny-Gibert ABSTRACT Whilst most post-apartheid public schools in South Africa remain significantly underfunded, the education budget nevertheless provides a significant injection of jobs and public spending into the…
NewsPublicationsReportsState ReformReport | State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying challenges to oversight and proposing solutions
October 6, 2023

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

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…
CompactGalleryMultimediaCompact | 2023 Stakeholder Engagement
October 2, 2023

Compact | 2023 Stakeholder Engagement

The COMPACT programme held a Stakeholder Engagement on 14 September 2023 in Johannesburg and online. It was great to be in the same room together and to learn and share…
MultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWatch | Bill to Regulate Public Procurement
September 12, 2023

Watch | Bill to Regulate Public Procurement

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…
ConferenceFeaturedGalleryJust TransitionMultimediaNewsPARI hosts the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks
September 12, 2023

PARI hosts the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks

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…
NewsPress releasePRWGState ReformStatement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023
September 12, 2023

Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023

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…
Op EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Procurement Bill Carries Serious Risks For SA, But It Can Be Fixed
September 10, 2023

Op Ed | Procurement Bill Carries Serious Risks For SA, But It Can Be Fixed

By Ryan Brunette The preferential procurement clause, especially, falls short of the constitutional requirement of a national legislative framework. Currently, the clause gives wide discretion to procuring institutions and opens…
BooksEventsNewsPublicationsState ReformBook launch at UP | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened
August 21, 2023

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

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…
Academic EngagementNewsPARI signs an MoA with University of Johannesburg
August 8, 2023

PARI signs an MoA with University of Johannesburg

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…
MultimediaNewsPublic PolicyState ReformwebinarsWATCH | Financial Incentives and Whistleblowing in South Africa
August 7, 2023

WATCH | Financial Incentives and Whistleblowing in South Africa

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 ReportsNewsPublicationsAnnual Report 22/23
August 4, 2023

Annual Report 22/23

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPublic submission to Parliament on the Public Administration and Management Bill 2023
August 2, 2023

Public submission to Parliament on the Public Administration and Management Bill 2023

PARI, the Public Service Accountability Monitor, the Ethics Institute, and Corruption Watch have made a joint submission to Parliament on the Public Service Amendment Bill. The Bill is currently before…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPublic submission to Parliament on the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023
August 2, 2023

Public submission to Parliament on the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023

PARI, the Public Service Accountability Monitor, the Ethics Institute, and Corruption Watch have made a joint submission to Parliament on the Public Service Amendment Bill. The Bill is currently before…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Explosion of a decaying city: Defects of Joburg’s poor urban management revealed
July 31, 2023

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

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…
FeaturedMultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWatch | State Capture Book Launch in Joburg
July 20, 2023

Watch | State Capture Book Launch in Joburg

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";…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformSubmission | Public Service Commission Bill
July 10, 2023

Submission | Public Service Commission Bill

PARI and the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) recently submitted public comment to the  Public Service Commission (PSC) on the draft PSC Bill. The Bill seeks to enhance the conditions…
BooksEventsFeaturedNewsPublicationsState ReformBook launch | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why it Happened
July 10, 2023

Book launch | 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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsReportsState ReformJoint Strategic Resource | A Strategic Public Procurement Paradigm for South Africa
July 10, 2023

Joint Strategic Resource | A Strategic Public Procurement Paradigm for South Africa

A Strategic Public Procurement Paradigm for South Africa: Reflections on the development of the Public Procurement Bill South Africa’s public procurement regime, established in the context of public sector reform…
Land GovernancePublicationsIntern | Open Letter to the President from a Disillusioned Youth
June 30, 2023

Intern | Open Letter to the President from a Disillusioned Youth

PARI's intern, Jabu Hlatshwayo, appeals to the President to prioritise land reform and the youth. Open letter to the President from a Disillusioned Youth Dear President Ramaphosa Greetings, Mr. President.…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsResearch Workshop Series 2023
June 27, 2023

Research Workshop Series 2023

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…
FeaturedMultimediaNewsState ReformvideosA Tell-All Book About State Capture
June 23, 2023

A Tell-All Book About State Capture

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…
NewsPress releaseState ReformStatement | First Anniversary of the Release of the State Capture Commission Report
June 22, 2023

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

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…
BooksFeaturedPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformNew Book | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened
June 19, 2023

New Book | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened

STATE CAPTURE IN SOUTH AFRICA: HOW AND WHY IT HAPPENED A new Wits University Press publication, edited by Mbongiseni Buthelezi and Peter Vale, this book features authors: Mbongiseni Buthelezi, Peter…
Local GovernmentNewsPublicationsReportsReport | The Case of Alfred Nzo District Municipality
June 18, 2023

Report | The Case of Alfred Nzo District Municipality

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…
EventsJust TransitionLocal GovernmentMultimediaNewswebinarsWebinar | Urban-Rural Renewable Energy Transition in Germany and South Africa
June 6, 2023

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

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,…
Local GovernmentMediaMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Municipal audits: Why are the numbers still so low and who is to blame?
June 5, 2023

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

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…
Academic EngagementMultimediaNewsSeminarswebinarsWatch | Care and Basic Universal Electricity
June 2, 2023

Watch | Care and Basic Universal Electricity

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…
FeaturedMediaMultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWatch | SA Police Not Fit For Purpose
May 26, 2023

Watch | SA Police Not Fit For Purpose

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…
FeaturedJust TransitionOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Eskom’s debt relief for municipalities strips households of their free basic services
May 15, 2023

Op Ed | Eskom’s debt relief for municipalities strips households of their free basic services

Photo 24519164 / Water Crisis © George Tsartsianidis | Dreamstime.com By Tracy Ledger National Treasury’s Municipal Debt Relief plan effectively means poor households must give up their constitutional rights to…
Op EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources
May 15, 2023

Op Ed | Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources

Photo 75974734 © Phodo1 | Dreamstime.com By Dennis Webster Commodified water system runs up against shortcomings of a government hollowed out by venal patronage. There is nothing new about SA’s…
Op EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | SA faces multiple water crises across all provinces and sectors
May 15, 2023

Op Ed | SA faces multiple water crises across all provinces and sectors

Photo 116472603 © Ian Scammell | Dreamstime.com By Tshegofatso Mathe The results of years of mismanagement and corruption in the water sector are beginning to show — and it is…
EventsNewsPublic PolicySeminarsState-Society RelationsSeminar | Care Economy Series
May 9, 2023

Seminar | Care Economy Series

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…
MultimediaNewsOp EdState ReformvideosWatch | Day 2 on the beat for Gauteng’s new crime prevention wardens
May 5, 2023

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

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…
Academic EngagementMultimediaNewsSeminarswebinarsWatch | Universal Healthcare in South Africa
May 2, 2023

Watch | Universal Healthcare in South Africa

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…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | The police are not only failing to keep us safe, they are failing in almost every aspect of their duty
May 2, 2023

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

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,…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformSubmission on the draft Public Service Regulations
April 28, 2023

Submission on the draft Public Service Regulations

In February 2023, the DPSA published the draft Public Service Regulations for public comment. The Regulations seek to amend the 2016 Public Service Regulations (under the Public Service Act). In…
EventsFeaturedJust TransitionMultimediaNewswebinarsWATCH | Between Vision and Reality: Navigating the JETPs in three countries
April 19, 2023

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

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…
FeaturedJust TransitionNewsWebinar | Between Vision and Reality
April 17, 2023

Webinar | Between Vision and Reality

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…
FeaturedNewsOp EdState ReformOp Ed | Failure to Boot Cele Betrays Public Safety
March 28, 2023

Op Ed | Failure to Boot Cele Betrays Public Safety

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…
NewsPress releasePRWGState ReformPress Statement | Civil Society Demands Clarity and Transparency in Emergency Procurement
March 22, 2023

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

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Coalition administration challenges in municipalities
March 22, 2023

Watch | Coalition administration challenges in municipalities

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…
Academic EngagementEventsMultimediaNewsSeminarswebinarsSA Launch of the Africa Care Economy Index
March 16, 2023

SA Launch of the Africa Care Economy Index

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…
MultimediaNewsSRP ResourcesState ReformwebinarsWebinar | Who pays the price of state capture?
February 21, 2023

Webinar | Who pays the price of state capture?

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,…
CompactEventsMultimediaNewsvideosLaunch | COMPACT – My Municipality
February 16, 2023

Launch | COMPACT – My Municipality

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…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsSeminar | The Privatised State
February 15, 2023

Seminar | The Privatised State

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…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | The (un)making of mayoral leadership behind coalition city governments
February 14, 2023

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

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewswebinarsWatch | The Impact of Loadshedding on Municipal Services and Finances
February 9, 2023

Watch | The Impact of Loadshedding on Municipal Services and Finances

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…
MultimediaNewspodcastsPodcast | Coalition chaos — why we must hold elected politicians accountable
February 3, 2023

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

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…
NewsWelcome | New Intern Jabu Hlatshwayo
February 3, 2023

Welcome | New Intern Jabu Hlatshwayo

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…
Land GovernancePublicationsReportsReport | Land Governance in Ekurhuleni Municipality
January 25, 2023

Report | Land Governance in Ekurhuleni Municipality

A new report from the Land Governance programme by Simbarashe Nyuke, Gaynor Paradza and Noluvuyo Mjoli. The land question is a volatile issue in South Africa as land redistribution goals…
Land GovernancePublicationsReportsReport | Land Use and Management in Lephalale Local Municipality
January 25, 2023

Report | Land Use and Management in Lephalale Local Municipality

This research report focuses on land administration in Lephalale Local Municipality where the effects of the construction of Medupi power station have revealed how institutional dynamics in local government (in…
Land GovernancePublicationsReportsReport | Engcobo: The Confluence of the State, Local Municipality and Traditional Authority in Land Governance
January 25, 2023

Report | Engcobo: The Confluence of the State, Local Municipality and Traditional Authority in Land Governance

This report examines land governance in Engcobo and shows how negotiation and compromise characterise the relationship between the municipality and traditional authorities. It reveals how local governance is shaped and…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Social Justice Assembly gathers to address multiple crises facing SA
January 25, 2023

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

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…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | The dangers and limits of the DA’s high court attempt to abolish cadre deployment
January 25, 2023

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

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Is the ANC still a good fit for a democratic South Africa?
January 20, 2023

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

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.
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Transnet turns a new leaf, but there are many cracks in the system
December 15, 2022

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

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…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Shortcomings of SA’s commuter railways worsen by the day
December 12, 2022

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

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…
Academic EngagementGalleryNewsResearch Seminar | Presentation 6
November 11, 2022

Research Seminar | Presentation 6

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…
Land GovernancePolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsGuidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa
November 9, 2022

Guidelines for the Development of Curricula on Land Governance in Africa

Dr Gaynor Paradza was one of the drafters in a select team of African experts drawn mainly from universities and institutions of higher learning. The Guidelines for the Development of…
Academic EngagementGalleryNewsResearch Seminar Series | Presentation 5
November 2, 2022

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 5

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…
NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformSouth Africa Needs Civil Servants Who Are Capture-Proof
October 31, 2022

South Africa Needs Civil Servants Who Are Capture-Proof

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…
Civil society organisationsNewsIntroducing the Social Justice Assembly
October 28, 2022

Introducing the Social Justice Assembly

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…
NewsPress releaseState ReformCSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report
October 28, 2022

CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Phalatse Skating on Thin Ice Despite Court Victory
October 26, 2022

Watch | Phalatse Skating on Thin Ice Despite Court Victory

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…
Annual ReportsPublicationsAnnual Report 21/22
October 14, 2022

Annual Report 21/22

The Year In Review   PARI reached its anticipated groove in 2021, where programmes successfully produced their outputs and exceeded their targets in many instances. The Institute struck a healthy…
PublicationsState ReformWorking PapersWorking Paper | Public Procurement and Corruption in South Africa
October 11, 2022

Working Paper | Public Procurement and Corruption in South Africa

Abstract Like many other countries, South Africa depends heavily on its public procurement system and faces persistent issues of corruption within that system.  Its regulatory regimes for public procurement and…
Local GovernmentOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Coalition politics: Coalition governments should be about citizens, not winning seats
October 10, 2022

Op Ed | Coalition politics: Coalition governments should be about citizens, not winning seats

by Lindiwe Ndlela   'Unless proper care is taken to formulate citizen-centric coalition agreements, stability will remain a pipe dream and service delivery will continue to suffer,' writes Lindiwe Ndlela.…
Op EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | The lack of political consensus around energy endures with ANC tied up to coal
October 10, 2022

Op Ed | The lack of political consensus around energy endures with ANC tied up to coal

Photo 114118043 / Coal South Africa © Michael Turner | Dreamstime.com By Dennis Webster Commissioned by PARI, first published in Business Live Equally stubborn is the gap between what institutions…
PublicationsReportsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformConference Report | State Capture Commission Conference
October 6, 2022

Conference Report | State Capture Commission Conference

In June 2022 the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture presided over by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo delivered its final report to the President of South Africa. The…
Academic EngagementGalleryNewsResearch Seminar Series | Presentation 3
October 5, 2022

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 3

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | More political activity expected in Gauteng
September 29, 2022

Watch | More political activity expected in Gauteng

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Ramaphosa calls on councils to behave
September 29, 2022

Watch | Ramaphosa calls on councils to behave

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…
EventsNewsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformState Capture Commission Conference Page
September 29, 2022

State Capture Commission Conference Page

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…
Just TransitionNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Universal access to electricity is the critical development intervention that SA needs
September 23, 2022

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

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…
ConferencesNewsSRP ResourcesState ReformGallery | State Capture Commission Conference
September 21, 2022

Gallery | State Capture Commission Conference

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…
Academic EngagementGalleryNewsResearch Seminar Series | Presentation 2
September 21, 2022

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 2

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…
UncategorizedPurchase a hard copy of ‘Hungry for Electricity’ or ‘Soif d’Électricité’
September 21, 2022

Purchase a hard copy of ‘Hungry for Electricity’ or ‘Soif d’Électricité’

Hungry for Electricity and Soif d'Électricité are on sale at PARI for R 100.00   CASH: email refiloer@pari.org.za to arrange purchase at our offices in Forest Town, Johannesburg. EFT: Make…
MultimediaNewsSRP ResourcesState ReformvideosWATCH | Devi Pillay weighs in on the Zondo Commission report
September 19, 2022

WATCH | Devi Pillay weighs in on the Zondo Commission report

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…
UncategorizedRegister Now | State Capture Commission Conference
September 12, 2022

Register Now | State Capture Commission Conference

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) are pleased to invite you to their joint hybrid conference to analyse the State…
Academic EngagementGalleryNewsResearch Seminar Series | Presentation 1
September 8, 2022

Research Seminar Series | Presentation 1

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState CaptureState ReformSummary | The State Capture Commission
September 5, 2022

Summary | The State Capture Commission

ABOUT THIS BRIEF In June 2022 Chief Justice Raymond Zondo handed the final report of the Zondo Commission to President Cyril Ramaphosa. The report was the culmination of nearly four…
NewsOp EdPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformOp Ed | Zondo Commission’s Missed Opportunity on Role of Law Enforcement Agencies in State Capture
August 31, 2022

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

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…
MediaMultimediaNewsSA FM features Mbongiseni Buthelezi
August 31, 2022

SA FM features Mbongiseni Buthelezi

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…
Academic EngagementNewsSeminarsSeminar Series | Researching State-Society Relations in Southern Africa
August 31, 2022

Seminar Series | Researching State-Society Relations in Southern Africa

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Corruption is not the only issue impacting service delivery, says Ledger
August 22, 2022

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

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…
ConferencesLand GovernanceNewsGaynor Paradza gives keynote address at University of Ghana
August 17, 2022

Gaynor Paradza gives keynote address at University of Ghana

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…
Civil society organisationsNewsPress releaseState ReformPress Statements | In Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats
August 2, 2022

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

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…
NewsOp EdPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformOp Ed | Public administration reform is critical after a pliant civil service greased the wheels of State Capture
July 27, 2022

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

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…
CompactCompact | New Recruits to a Brand New Programme
July 20, 2022

Compact | New Recruits to a Brand New Programme

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…
Civil society organisationsNewsState ReformDeclaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change
July 19, 2022

Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change

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…
PublicationsState ReformWorking PapersWorking Paper | Remodelling Cabinet Departments in South Africa
July 19, 2022

Working Paper | Remodelling Cabinet Departments in South Africa

Abstract The internal organisational structure of government departments is the primary building block of any country’s system of public administration. It is also intimately entwined with the politics of restructuring…
Local GovernmentPublicationsReportsSystem of Capacity Building for Local Government: Diagnostic Review
July 6, 2022

System of Capacity Building for Local Government: Diagnostic Review

This Diagnostic Review is the first step in the design of a broader multi-year programme intending to improve the outcomes of the current capacity building system as South Africa enters…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Covid-19 Informal Settlement
June 30, 2022

Op Ed | Covid-19 Informal Settlement

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…
MultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWatch | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on the fifth state capture report
June 22, 2022

Watch | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on the fifth state capture report

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Thina Nzo: A metro-by-metro analysis
June 21, 2022

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

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…
Land GovernanceLocal GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationstraditional leadersOp Ed | KZN Floods: The dangerous cocktail of traditional authorities and local government
May 25, 2022

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

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…
EventsNewsSeminarsPARI Launches a Research Workshop Series
May 4, 2022

PARI Launches a Research Workshop Series

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…
UncategorizedVacancy | Head of Programmes
April 11, 2022

Vacancy | Head of Programmes

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is seeking to appoint a HEAD OF PROGRAMMES. The Head of Programmes will ensure the smooth operational, planning and resourcing matters related to the…
Food securityMultimediaNewspodcastsListen | Injustice and Inequality in SA’s Food System
March 30, 2022

Listen | Injustice and Inequality in SA’s Food System

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…
Land GovernanceNewsWebinar | Celebrating Women in the Land Sector
March 24, 2022

Webinar | Celebrating Women in the Land Sector

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,…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewspodcastsWatch | Should local officials’ pay be tied to performance?
March 8, 2022

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

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.…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Fixing Municipal Finances
March 4, 2022

Watch | Fixing Municipal Finances

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…
Just TransitionOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Universal access to electricity is a necessary prerequisite to ending poverty itself
February 17, 2022

Op Ed | Universal access to electricity is a necessary prerequisite to ending poverty itself

By Tracy Ledger for Energy Governance South Africa Power to the people! This starts with ending energy poverty and prioritising universal access to electricity. Energy poverty is a largely invisible…
Civil society organisationsNewsState ReformMemorandum: State of the Nation Address – The People’s Voice
February 11, 2022

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

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…
BooksPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformReforming the Public Administration in South Africa: A Path to Professionalisation
February 9, 2022

Reforming the Public Administration in South Africa: A Path to Professionalisation

A new e-book by Jonathan Klaaren (ed.), Florencia Belvedere and Ryan Brunette. December 2021 Publisher: Siber Ink ISBN: 978-1-928309-37-6   Abstract This short book analyses three distinct and key features…
Past ProgrammesPast Programmes
February 4, 2022

Past Programmes

NewsOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | The Zondo Report’s Recommendations Must Be Implemented Yesterday
February 4, 2022

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

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…
MultimediaNewspodcastsState ReformListen | State Capture Report: Accountability and Rebuilding the Procurement System
February 2, 2022

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

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…
NewsPress releaseState ReformCSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report
January 24, 2022

CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report

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…
NewsPress releaseState ReformPress statement: Collective Call to Stop Attacks on Migrants
January 24, 2022

Press statement: Collective Call to Stop Attacks on Migrants

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…
NewsState ReformPARI and WITS research featured in state capture report
January 18, 2022

PARI and WITS research featured in state capture report

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…
Just TransitionPublicationsReportsStrengthening municipal systems for inclusive and sustainable water and sanitation in South Africa
December 15, 2021

Strengthening municipal systems for inclusive and sustainable water and sanitation in South Africa

Water and sanitation progress globally is characterised by poor sustainability, social exclusion, weak accountability, poor scalability, and insufficient prioritisation and resourcing. These issues are symptomatic of system weaknesses, so require…
BooksLand GovernancePublicationsChapter | Women and Land Inheritance Under Legal Pluralism in Lesotho
December 6, 2021

Chapter | Women and Land Inheritance Under Legal Pluralism in Lesotho

'Land inheritance is an important process through which women negotiate access to the resource. Legal pluralism renders land inheritance a complex process for those who rely on inheritance as a…
MultimediaNewsOISpodcastsPodcast | This Is OIS
November 25, 2021

Podcast | This Is OIS

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…
Just TransitionPublicationsReportsThe Net-Zero Energy Transition: Policy case studies from INETTT
November 11, 2021

The Net-Zero Energy Transition: Policy case studies from INETTT

In December 2020, an international group of think tanks working for the energy transition in major and emerging economies around the world came together to create the International Network of…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWatch | Coalition Talks Following Local Elections
November 9, 2021

Watch | Coalition Talks Following Local Elections

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…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformCOMPANIES AMENDMENT BILL, 2021 Bill [B-2021] Submission of Public Comments
October 31, 2021

COMPANIES AMENDMENT BILL, 2021 Bill [B-2021] Submission of Public Comments

PARI's State Reform programme and the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) have submitted public comments on the Companies Act Amendment Bill.
EducationPublicationsWorking PapersWP | The Role of School Governing Bodies
October 31, 2021

WP | The Role of School Governing Bodies

A working paper by Noma Pakade and Thokozani Chilenga-Butao School governing bodies (SGBs) are the nerve centres of schools in South Africa. Their main purpose is to create and maintain…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewswebinarsWatch | Corruption and Governance in Local Government
October 26, 2021

Watch | Corruption and Governance in Local Government

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWATCH | Has access to basic services enabled transformation or entrenched poverty?
October 7, 2021

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

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%…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsWe need a ‘Food First’ approach to basic municipal services and not use them as a source of local government revenue
October 5, 2021

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

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…
Land GovernancePolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsReportsTowards an Integrated Land Administration System
October 5, 2021

Towards an Integrated Land Administration System

Gaynor Paradza, Lead of the Land Governance programme at PARI, has collaborated with PLAAS and SALGA to produce this diagnostic document, which lays a foundation for creating cohesion in South…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewspodcastsListen | Basic services costs take food off the table
October 4, 2021

Listen | Basic services costs take food off the table

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…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWATCH | Sophie’s Choice for Many South Africans
October 4, 2021

WATCH | Sophie’s Choice for Many South Africans

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…
Local GovernmentPress releasePress Release | Are Basic Services Entrenching Poverty and Inequality?
October 1, 2021

Press Release | Are Basic Services Entrenching Poverty and Inequality?

PRESS RELEASE Johannesburg 01 October 2021 (For Immediate Release) Access to Basic Services: Enabling Progressive Transformation or Entrenching Poverty and Inequality? The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) has released a…
Just TransitionLocal GovernmentPublicationsReportsShort Report | Access to Basic Services
September 30, 2021

Short Report | Access to Basic Services

National government has an obligation to intervene on behalf of communities where municipalities, through inefficiency or a lack of commitment to delivery and development goals, fail to provide affordable services.…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewswebinarsWATCH | A Just Recovery After Covid-19 and Looting
September 30, 2021

WATCH | A Just Recovery After Covid-19 and Looting

This PLAAS webinar on 30 September 2021, facilitated by Mbongiseni Buthelezi, aimed to reframe the post-Covid and post-unrest ‘recovery’ discourse to foreground the danger of entrenched corporate power in the…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewswebinarsWATCH | Local Government in Crisis: How do communities respond?
September 30, 2021

WATCH | Local Government in Crisis: How do communities respond?

This second session of Local Government in Crisis held on 30 September 2021, a webinar series by Tshisimani and MyVoteCounts, explores what tactics communities can and have used when municipalities…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewswebinarsWATCH | State Reform and Traditional Leadership
September 30, 2021

WATCH | State Reform and Traditional Leadership

On 29 September 2021, Mbongiseni Buthelezi presented an input into the Rebuild SA webinar, the first instalment in a series by GCRO and MISTRA. Dr Buthelezi spoke on State Reform…
NewsState ReformwebinarsLaunch of the Association of Former Directors-General
September 30, 2021

Launch of the Association of Former Directors-General

Having undergone a consultative process with a small mandated and coordinating group of former DGs, PARI's State Reform has assisted this group in conducting comparative research on the best organisational…
Just TransitionMultimediaNewsvideosWATCH | Should Electricity Be A Free Basic Right?
September 22, 2021

WATCH | Should Electricity Be A Free Basic Right?

Is there a duty on the government to provide free basic electricity to the people of South Africa, especially the poor? Dr. Tracy Ledger, a senior researcher and Lead of…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsvideosWATCH | Youth Participation in the Electoral Process
September 20, 2021

WATCH | Youth Participation in the Electoral Process

Young people are disengaged from the democratic process. Most of them don't participate in elections, they don’t usually stand as candidates and remain unrepresented in electoral managerial functions. The IEC…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsOp ed | Elections 2021 – Unpredictability, instability may cost parties votes
September 13, 2021

Op ed | Elections 2021 – Unpredictability, instability may cost parties votes

by Thina Nzo It's been five years since the last local government elections were held in 2016. For South Africans, that means its time to go back to the voting…
Local GovernmentPublicationsReportsWhose Power Is It Anyway? | Emthanjeni Local Municipality and Renewable Energy
September 10, 2021

Whose Power Is It Anyway? | Emthanjeni Local Municipality and Renewable Energy

A report by Thina Nzo. We owed Eskom R106 million. Eskom cut us from the electricity supply for two days during lockdown, when people lost their jobs and there was…
GalleryLocal GovernmentMultimediaGallery | eMthanjeni Municipality and Renewable Energy
August 31, 2021

Gallery | eMthanjeni Municipality and Renewable Energy

Images by photographer, Bram Lammers, depict life in and around De Aar and its renewable energy farms. This photo essay was commissioned by PARI's Local Government programme, for a research…
Just TransitionNewspodcastsPodcast | What went wrong with free basic electricity?
August 30, 2021

Podcast | What went wrong with free basic electricity?

This community announcement aims to inform households about why affordable basic energy allocations have not been delivered as promised, and what they can do about it. It is available in…
Just TransitionOISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Energy Transition Moves Beyond the Boardroom
August 18, 2021

Op Ed | Energy Transition Moves Beyond the Boardroom

by Vincent Obisie-Orlu In May Royal Dutch Shell lost what is considered a precedent setting climate change case for oil companies. The Hague district court in the Netherlands ordered Shell…
Annual ReportsPublicationsAnnual Report 20/21
July 27, 2021

Annual Report 20/21

The Year In Review THE NEW NORMAL 2020 was an unprecedented year as the Covid-19 pandemic created serious challenges, and unexpectedly, extreme productivity in the organisation across the six programme…
Local GovernmentOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Coalition politics: crux of demolition of political stability, governance in Johannesburg
June 25, 2021

Op Ed | Coalition politics: crux of demolition of political stability, governance in Johannesburg

by Thina Nzo Thina Nzo breaks down why coalition politics in Johannesburg were initially successful, but became less so following ongoing battles and reneging on various agreements, preventing representatives from…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsWatch | R26 billion in irregular expenditure
June 25, 2021

Watch | R26 billion in irregular expenditure

Dr Thina Nzo on Morning Live traces dysfunctionality in municipalities back to a lack of political leadership and oversight: "Accountability needs to be applied; heads need to roll" The state…
Academic EngagementBooksNewsPublicationsA New Call for Papers | Covid-19, States and Societies
June 17, 2021

A New Call for Papers | Covid-19, States and Societies

After publishing the Covid-19, States and Societies Series online in 2020, with fascinating submissions from 14 countries, PARI now seeks academic papers (7000 words) to be published as a book…
NewsPARI joins Participedia
June 9, 2021

PARI joins Participedia

PARI, in 2020, joined Participedia, a global community sharing knowledge and stories about public participation and democratic innovations. Participedia is an open-sourced, online research tool and publishing platform for articles…
Just TransitionNewsMbongiseni Buthelezi joins the Agora Energiewende Supervisory Board
June 9, 2021

Mbongiseni Buthelezi joins the Agora Energiewende Supervisory Board

Mbongiseni Buthelezi has joined the Supervisory Board of Agora Energiewende: a think tank funded by the European Climate Foundation and Stiftung Mercator that focuses on dialogue with energy policymakers. It…
OISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Nigeria’s undemocratic Twitter shutdown points to a dangerous slide towards dictatorship
June 9, 2021

Op Ed | Nigeria’s undemocratic Twitter shutdown points to a dangerous slide towards dictatorship

By Michael Asikabulu, OIS Honours Student   The decision of the government of Nigeria on Friday, 4 June 2021 to suspend Twitter operations in the country “shows that the President,…
Journal ArticlesLand GovernancePublicationsLand | Could Mapping Initiatives Catalyze the Interpretation of Customary Land Rights in Ways that Secure Women’s Land Rights?
June 7, 2021

Land | Could Mapping Initiatives Catalyze the Interpretation of Customary Land Rights in Ways that Secure Women’s Land Rights?

By Gaynor Paradza, Lebogang Mokwena and Walter Musakwa   Abstract Although land forms the basis for marginal livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa, the asset is more strategic for women as they…
Journal ArticlesLand GovernancePublicationsLand | Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe
June 7, 2021

Land | Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe

By Walter Musakwa, Trynos Gumbo, Gaynor Paradza, Ephraim Mpofu, Nesisa Analisa Nyathi and Ntlakala B. Selamolela   Abstract National parks play an important role in maintaining natural ecosystems which are…
Land GovernanceNewsPARI joins the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa
June 7, 2021

PARI joins the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa

NELGA is the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa. The NUST NELGA node currently has over 30 academic partner institutions in 12 southern African countries, making it the…
OISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Sustainable investing in Africa must place priority on the social aspect
June 2, 2021

Op Ed | Sustainable investing in Africa must place priority on the social aspect

by Vincent Obisie-Orlu, OIS Honours Student The concept of environmental, social & governance (ESG) entails three factors that have been overlooked in measuring firms’ compliance with these criteria. Environmental responsibility…
NewsState ReformA High-Level Task Team to Professionalise the Public Service
June 1, 2021

A High-Level Task Team to Professionalise the Public Service

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi has been appointed to a high-level task team to assist government through the National School of Government (The NSG), to finalise the National Implementation Framework towards the…
NewsPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformProposed amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) and Public Administration Management Act (PAMA)
May 26, 2021

Proposed amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) and Public Administration Management Act (PAMA)

PARI welcomes the proposed amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) which seek to (1) devolve administrative powers to the heads of department while retaining strategic powers with the executive…
Just TransitionMultimediaNewsWatch | PARI uncovers scandal totaling billions of rand
May 12, 2021

Watch | PARI uncovers scandal totaling billions of rand

In the interview with Newzroom Afrika, Tracy Ledger breaks down the incentives for municipalities to divert funds intended for free basic services. She discusses the imbalance in the conversation around…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformPolicy Brief | Reforming Appointment and Removal in the Public Service and Municipalities
May 12, 2021

Policy Brief | Reforming Appointment and Removal in the Public Service and Municipalities

The deterioration of the state, its inability to move decisively to lift South Africa out of this crisis, is rooted institutionally in the ways in which personnel are appointed to…
NewsOISSpotlight | Two OIS students awarded Research Fellowships from the Wits History Workshop
May 10, 2021

Spotlight | Two OIS students awarded Research Fellowships from the Wits History Workshop

Congratulations to OIS students Musa Sithole and Jabu Hlatshwayo who have been awarded fellowships in the "Institutional transformations for sustainable urban mobilities in urban Africa" project, led by Dr Njogu…
NewsState ReformPetition | Raising Our Voice Against State Capture and Corruption
April 30, 2021

Petition | Raising Our Voice Against State Capture and Corruption

As part of the Civil Society Working Group on State Capture, PARI's State Reform programme has put out a call for voices against state capture and corruption: State capture and…
Just TransitionMultimediaNewsListen | Tracy Ledger chats to YFM about Broken Promises report
April 22, 2021

Listen | Tracy Ledger chats to YFM about Broken Promises report

On Thursday, 22 April 2021, Dr Tracy Ledger chatted to YFM about the main findings in her latest research report Broken Promises and what communities need to know about free…
Just TransitionNewsPublicationsReportsWorking PapersBroken Promises | New research from the EnergySociety programme
April 21, 2021

Broken Promises | New research from the EnergySociety programme

A new report on electricity access for low-income households by Tracy Ledger, Lead Researcher on the Energy and Society programme. Poverty has received scant attention from an energy perspective. This…
Just TransitionPublicationsWorking PapersA Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?
April 21, 2021

A Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?

by Tracy Ledger 'What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition? In our initial assessment, there are two key gaps in the current national just transition debate…
Just TransitionMultimediaMultimediaNewsListen | New research shows how municipalities divert funding intended for free basic electricity
April 20, 2021

Listen | New research shows how municipalities divert funding intended for free basic electricity

Head of the Energy and Society programme, Tracy Ledger, speaks to Thabiso Tema on PowerFM in a revelatory discussion about how the failure to provide free basic electricity for poor…
blogJust TransitionNewsPublicationsCommunity Brief | The Broken Promise of Affordable Energy For All
April 16, 2021

Community Brief | The Broken Promise of Affordable Energy For All

Download this Community Brief in the following languages:People who get enough electricity to meet their daily needs, at a price that they can afford to pay, have many benefits: They…
EducationMultimediaNewsWatch | Trust, Accountability and Capacity in Education System Reform
April 8, 2021

Watch | Trust, Accountability and Capacity in Education System Reform

In the short video clip below, Melanie Ehren and Jacqueline Baxter interview Noma Pakade and Thokozani Chilenga-Butao, authors of chapter 12 from the book Trust Accountability and Capacity in Education…
MultimediaMultimediaNewsState ReformListen | Building State Capacity for Inclusive Development
April 3, 2021

Listen | Building State Capacity for Inclusive Development

Khaya Sithole is in conversation with Busani Ngcaweni, Principal of the National School of Governance and Dr Florencia Belvedere, Lead of the State Reform programme at the Public Affairs Research…
MultimediaNewsState ReformWatch | PARI comments on reforming the state
March 31, 2021

Watch | PARI comments on reforming the state

Dr Florencia Belvedere shares PARI's state reform work at the Consulting Engineers Protecting Lives and Livelihoods Webinar, Episode 3. You can watch the full webinar in the YouTube embed below.…
MultimediaNewsState ReformCall to Action | Defend Our Democracy
March 26, 2021

Call to Action | Defend Our Democracy

It is a crucial moment in our democracy. PARI has joined over 300 organisations and individuals in putting out a call to action to all South Africans. Watch the video…
NewsPublicationsState ReformPoliticising the Zondo Commission needs to stop, says Civil Society
March 10, 2021

Politicising the Zondo Commission needs to stop, says Civil Society

We, representatives of civil society, jointly issue this statement condemning former president Jacob Zuma’s insistence on defying the State Capture Commission and the dangerous attacks he and other political actors…
Local GovernmentNewsReportsSIU to investigate Mogalakwena Local Municipality
March 10, 2021

SIU to investigate Mogalakwena Local Municipality

President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a proclamation on 5 March 2021 authorising the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration at Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Limpopo. The…
NewsOp EdPolicy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformOpen letter to the President | Major reforms in the public service are critical to the future of South Africa
March 5, 2021

Open letter to the President | Major reforms in the public service are critical to the future of South Africa

Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa, On Monday, 1 March 2021, in your presidential letter to the nation, you reiterated your administration’s commitment to build an efficient, capable and ethical state free…
NewsOISMeet the new OIS team
March 3, 2021

Meet the new OIS team

The Organisational and Institutional Studies programme at Wits University started with first block lectures last week, with a whole new team for 2021. Dr Federica Duca, who leads the OIS…
MultimediaNewsState ReformListen | New policy to shake up SA’s public service
March 2, 2021

Listen | New policy to shake up SA’s public service

Dr Florencia Belvedere was on Radio 702's early breakfast show this morning, chatting with Africa Melane about how the government could root out corruption among public service officials. Listen to…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsState ReformProfessionalising the Public Service: Submission on the draft implementation framework
February 26, 2021

Professionalising the Public Service: Submission on the draft implementation framework

In view of its continued interest in enhancing institutional performance and professionalising the public service, PARI welcomes the opportunity to make submissions on the National Implementation Framework towards the Professionalisation…
MultimediaNewsState ReformListen | Public procurement and the SIU investigation into PPE scandal
February 24, 2021

Listen | Public procurement and the SIU investigation into PPE scandal

On 5 Feb 2021, Dr Florencia Belvedere chatted to Ntokozo Mazibuko on PowerFM about the state of public procurement, responding to the SIU's media briefing that same day on the…
Local GovernmentNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Local government vs communities
February 23, 2021

Op Ed | Local government vs communities

Local government vs communities: Reclaiming the people's power through the courts State authority can be challenged, giving civil movements the power to circumvent limitations and failures of state institutions, moving…
PublicationsWorking PapersViral Contradictions: Canadian Exceptionalism and Covid-19
February 22, 2021

Viral Contradictions: Canadian Exceptionalism and Covid-19

By Adrian Murray, January 2021Canadians generally see their country as a progressive and cooperative member of the global community across a range of domestic and international policy spheres. At first…
BooksEducationPublicationsChapter | National Standardized Assessments in South Africa: Policy and Power Play
February 19, 2021

Chapter | National Standardized Assessments in South Africa: Policy and Power Play

A timely contribution to the debate on educational governance and equality, the World Yearbook of Education 2020 documents the significant changes that have occurred in the last 20 years reflecting…
EducationEventsMultimediawebinarsWebinar | Back to School
February 15, 2021

Webinar | Back to School

PARI's Education Governance programme held a webinar on 11 February titled Back to School: Challenges to teaching and learning while managing a pandemic. Programme leads Noma Pakade and Thokozani Chilenga-Butao…
EducationEventsNewsParents, teachers and learners anxious about reopening schools
February 15, 2021

Parents, teachers and learners anxious about reopening schools

by Zukiswa Pikoli A Public Affairs Research Institute webinar on institutional coordination of the return to schools agreed that parents’ participation in their children’s education would improve with better access…
EventsLocal GovernmentNewsTracy Ledger in discussion about the District Development Model
January 29, 2021

Tracy Ledger in discussion about the District Development Model

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) held a discussion on 27 January 2021 with Themba Fosi (COGTA),  Tracy Ledger (PARI) and Louis Scheepers (UWC). The conversation dealt with the…
Just TransitionNewsA Just Energy Transition Must Not Deepen Inequality
January 27, 2021

A Just Energy Transition Must Not Deepen Inequality

Smart Energy International, 23 January 2021 A new working paper by Dr Tracy Ledger, A Just Distribution, argues that: ‘A better understanding of the linkages between distribution and socioeconomic development…
Just TransitionNewsOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | A just energy transition must be developmental, pro-poor and not deepen inequality
January 15, 2021

Op Ed | A just energy transition must be developmental, pro-poor and not deepen inequality

by Tracy Ledger A better understanding of the linkages between electricity distribution and poverty is critical to a just transition. Otherwise, we run the very real risk of restructuring our…
Just TransitionPublicationsWorking PapersA Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?
January 15, 2021

A Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?

by Tracy Ledger 'What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition? In our initial assessment, there are two key gaps in the current national just transition debate…
PublicationsWorking PapersPandemic as Campaign Stage: On Trump’s Handling of Covid-19 in the United States
January 14, 2021

Pandemic as Campaign Stage: On Trump’s Handling of Covid-19 in the United States

By Zachary Levenson, December 2020From the very beginning, US President Donald Trump was nonchalant about the coronavirus’ impact on Americans. A week before the first major spike in that country,…
Academic EngagementNewsPublicationsCovid-19, States and Societies | Social contracts around the world
January 13, 2021

Covid-19, States and Societies | Social contracts around the world

Covid-19, States and Societies is a new series which presents texts from around the globe, detailing relationships between states and societies: how they have unfolded since the beginning of the…
Just TransitionPublicationsWorking PapersA Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?
December 20, 2020

A Just Distribution: What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition?

by Tracy Ledger 'What is missing from the current narratives of a just transition? In our initial assessment, there are two key gaps in the current national just transition debate…
EducationPublicationsWorking PapersWorking Paper | Exploring Institutional Coordination of the Return to Schools
December 9, 2020

Working Paper | Exploring Institutional Coordination of the Return to Schools

Abstract South Africa’s basic education system, like many across the globe, has been impacted by the deadly Covid-19. Between March and August 2020, many public ordinary schools remained shut due…
PublicationsWorking PapersA Covid-Era Discussion: Mobility of the Informal Sector, Fiscal Legitimacy and the Fiscal Contract in Kenya
December 3, 2020

A Covid-Era Discussion: Mobility of the Informal Sector, Fiscal Legitimacy and the Fiscal Contract in Kenya

By Attiya Waris and Mwaniki Maina, December 2020 We may share the same sun, but we do not share the same roofs.  —Kalenjin proverb (Kenyan) Covid and the Kenyan response…
EventsMultimediaNewsSeminarswebinarsWatch | The Future of the Ingonyama Trust
December 1, 2020

Watch | The Future of the Ingonyama Trust

The Future Of The Ingonyama Trust: Substantive Accountability in a post-Covid era dialogue held by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Land and Accountability Research Centre and the Public Affairs Research…
Land GovernanceOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Every Zimbabwean Deserves Secure Land Rights
November 30, 2020

Op Ed | Every Zimbabwean Deserves Secure Land Rights

by Gaynor Paradza In 2019, Zimbabwe embarked on a long-awaited land policymaking process. The Land Policy's emphasis on gender sensitivity echoes global recognition and acknowledgement of the strategic importance of…
Civil society organisationsNewsState ReformPress Statement | Zuma must account before Zondo
November 17, 2020

Press Statement | Zuma must account before Zondo

Press statement 15 November 2020 Zuma must account before Zondo We, the undersigned organisations, express our ongoing support for the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. We…
BooksPublicationsSchool GovernanceChapter | Distrust, Accountability and Capacity in SA’s Fragmented Education System
November 16, 2020

Chapter | Distrust, Accountability and Capacity in SA’s Fragmented Education System

This global collection brings a new perspective to the field of comparative education by presenting trust, capacity, and accountability as the three building blocks of education systems and education system…
EventsMultimediaState ReformwebinarsWebinar | Protect Our Whistleblowers
November 6, 2020

Webinar | Protect Our Whistleblowers

A webinar by PARI and the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation on 5 November looked at how public servants who speak out need to be protected. PARI also launches it Toolkit for…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformPolicy Brief | Encouraged Whistleblowing in Public Procurement
November 5, 2020

Policy Brief | Encouraged Whistleblowing in Public Procurement

South Africa will need an active and capable state to lift itself out of this crisis. Corruption in public procurement is a major impediment to this. The Covid-19 procurement scandals…
Local GovernmentNewsWater Rights Webinar Series
November 3, 2020

Water Rights Webinar Series

On 3 November, Dr Tracy Ledger was a panel member at the Water Rights Webinar Series 3rd session, on Makana Municipality. The series is organised by SERI and the Mail…
PublicationsWorking PapersNigeria’s Response to Covid-19
November 3, 2020

Nigeria’s Response to Covid-19

By Mustapha Ndajiwo, November 2020Introduction The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic has altered the global system in myriad ways, and a major concern has been the preparedness and response to the pandemic…
EventsLocal GovernmentMultimediaState ReformwebinarsWATCH | Professionalising Local Government Webinar
October 29, 2020

WATCH | Professionalising Local Government Webinar

Professionalising Local Government: Recruitment and Appointments in Municipalities was held jointly by the Local Government and State Reform Programmes. The webinar, on 27 October 2020, featured an impressive panel of…
PublicationsWorking PapersSouth Africa, Covid-19 and the Social Contract
October 27, 2020

South Africa, Covid-19 and the Social Contract

By Mbongiseni Buthelezi, October 2020Covid-19 has exposed the deep fault lines that characterise South African society. When the crisis broke out and a hard lockdown was instituted in March 2020,…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsSpecial Issue: A window into local government
October 22, 2020

Special Issue: A window into local government

"This ambitious issue of Transformation seeks to open a window into local government, and offer new understandings about what a municipality is, and how it works. Many of these articles…
Local GovernmentNewswebinarsWebinar | Professionalising Local Government
October 21, 2020

Webinar | Professionalising Local Government

A professional and well-capacitated local government bureaucracy is essential for the delivery of efficient and effective public goods and services to local communities. The recruitment and appointment of municipal administration…
Land GovernanceOp EdPublicationsOp ed | A New Part for the Course
October 15, 2020

Op ed | A New Part for the Course

By Federica Duca   Recent news of the redevelopment of the River Club in Cape Town, and a furore about the lease renewal of the Rondebosch golf course in the…
MultimediaNewsState ReformListen | More Taxpayer Money for Political Parties
October 15, 2020

Listen | More Taxpayer Money for Political Parties

The ANC’s treasurer-general Paul Mashatile is reportedly calling for an increase in state funding for political parties. The ANC has been in the news for some time with reports of…
Policy briefs and resourcesPublicationsSRP ResourcesState ReformToolkit for Public Servants
October 12, 2020

Toolkit for Public Servants

The Constitution envisions a public administration that maintains a high standard of professional ethics, is developmentally orientated, and treats citizens in a fair and equitable way, without bias. Many public…
MediaMultimediaNewsState ReformWatch | Professionalism in the public sector
October 12, 2020

Watch | Professionalism in the public sector

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi was interviewed on Newzroom Afrika on 11 October about the issue of a lack of professionalism in the public sector, which results in bad service and often,…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsGoverning mining towns: the case of Lephalale
October 12, 2020

Governing mining towns: the case of Lephalale

By Emma Monama Abstract South Africa’s failure to transform the spatial geography of apartheid has been centrally attributed to policy failure. Drawing on empirical research in Lephalale, a town in…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsBeing watched, being excluded and being made to speak the ‘truth’: Foucault and power relations within a Limpopo municipality
October 9, 2020

Being watched, being excluded and being made to speak the ‘truth’: Foucault and power relations within a Limpopo municipality

By Thomas Lesaffre Abstract The present condition of the South African state has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years, with many questions raised about the failure of…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsPaperwork and power plays: contestation and performance at a Limpopo municipality
October 8, 2020

Paperwork and power plays: contestation and performance at a Limpopo municipality

By Joel Pearson Abstract This article considers the role that documents played in episodes of political conflict that gripped the conflictual Mogalakwena Local Municipality in Limpopo province, South Africa. Advancing…
Journal ArticlesPublications‘The Logic of Appropriateness’: understanding non-compliance in South African local government
October 8, 2020

‘The Logic of Appropriateness’: understanding non-compliance in South African local government

By Tracy Ledger Abstract Local government is central to the delivery of the state’s developmental agenda, but many municipalities record poor financial management and operational outcomes. Mainstream explanations of these…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsUncategorizedDecentralisation and recentralisation in South Africa’s local government: case studies of two municipalities in Limpopo
September 29, 2020

Decentralisation and recentralisation in South Africa’s local government: case studies of two municipalities in Limpopo

By Thokozani Chilenga-Butao Abstract Democratic decentralisation was introduced in South Africa during the transition to democracy (1990-1994). It followed a long trajectory of centralisation and decentralisation processes that took place…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsUncategorizedInside the municipality: locating debates on local government
September 29, 2020

Inside the municipality: locating debates on local government

By Mosa Phadi and Peter Vale The rise of African liberation parties to power in the 1960s brought to the fore ‘questions about the role and position of the African…
UncategorizedJournal Articles
September 28, 2020

Journal Articles

2020 Klaaren, J. and R. Brunette (2020) ‘The Public Procurement Bill Needs Better Enforcement: A suggested provision to empower and incentivise whistleblowers’. African Public Procurement Law Journal, 7(1): xxx Phadi,…
MultimediaNewsState ReformWatch | Could the Public Procurement Bill Minimise Unbridled Corruption?
September 23, 2020

Watch | Could the Public Procurement Bill Minimise Unbridled Corruption?

Dr Thokozani Chilenga-Butao, Research Associate at PARI and Sandile Swana, political analyst, spoke to SABC Morning Live on 22 September 2020 about the upcoming Public Procurement Bill. For more information…
PublicationsWorking PapersRevisioning State-Society Relationships in a Pandemic: New Zealand’s Response to Covid-19
September 22, 2020

Revisioning State-Society Relationships in a Pandemic: New Zealand’s Response to Covid-19

By Naomi Simon-Kumar, Rachel Simon-Kumar and Monique Jonas, August 2020Introduction New Zealand’s early success in containing Covid-19 proved a cause célèbre worldwide as the only Western country to pursue an…
EducationOp EdPublicationsSchool GovernanceWhite Elephant Schools Reveal Lack of Progress
September 21, 2020

White Elephant Schools Reveal Lack of Progress

by Thokozani Chilenga-Butao The media has reported on a public school in Midrand, worth R82 million and brand new, which has not opened for the past three years because the school…
PublicationsWorking PapersCovid-19 in the United Kingdom: Navigating a Global Pandemic
September 18, 2020

Covid-19 in the United Kingdom: Navigating a Global Pandemic

By Joan McGregor, August 2020We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm. — Damian Barr The first two cases of Covid-19 in the…
EventsLand GovernanceMultimediaUncategorizedwebinarsWATCH | Land Policy-Making in SA Webinar
September 18, 2020

WATCH | Land Policy-Making in SA Webinar

Towards Coherent Land Policy-Making in SA: insights and Lessons was the first webinar held by PARI's Land Governance Programme. The webinar, on 16 September 2020, featured dynamic inputs from land…
Food securityNewsThe Hunger Crisis in South Africa
September 18, 2020

The Hunger Crisis in South Africa

On 16 September, Dr Tracy Ledger had a gripping conversation with Mark Heywood from Maverick Citizen, in a Jacana 'Don't Shut Up' session, about the state of the food system…
PublicationsWorking PapersCovid-19 Pandemic: An Experience from Tanzania
September 15, 2020

Covid-19 Pandemic: An Experience from Tanzania

By Bariki G. Mwasaga, September 2020Disclaimer: I am a PhD candidate at the University of Perugia, Italy. Prior to starting PhD studies, I was working with the Prime Minister’s Office…
Local GovernmentNewsLocal Government Week and S139 Interventions
September 11, 2020

Local Government Week and S139 Interventions

From Tuesday, 8 to Friday, 11 September, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) hosted a virtual Local Government Week. The programme was aimed at providing an opportunity for national reflection…
PublicationsWorking PapersBolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity
September 11, 2020

Bolivia: Legitimation Crisis and State (In)capacity

By Alice Soares Guimarães, August 2020In early March, the first cases of Covid-19 in Bolivia were confirmed. Shortly afterwards the government decreed a state of health emergency and adopted strict…
PublicationsWorking PapersCovid-19: The India Story
September 9, 2020

Covid-19: The India Story

By Aditya Nigam, July 2020The Indian government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the state-society relationship that emerged as a result is perhaps the most surreal episode of the drama…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewsvideoswebinarsWebinar | Towards Coherent Land Policy-Making in SA: Insights and Lessons
September 7, 2020

Webinar | Towards Coherent Land Policy-Making in SA: Insights and Lessons

Achieving coherence in land governance remains a challenge in South Africa. Attempts to  reconcile diverse claims involve trade-offs and compromises. South Africa finds itself locked in these policy processes to…
PublicationsWorking PapersBrazil: Half Blind in the Coronavirus Crisis
September 7, 2020

Brazil: Half Blind in the Coronavirus Crisis

By José Maurício Domingues, September 2020Introduction The coronavirus hit like a tsunami over the planet. International organizations and national states definitely knew that the risk of a devasting pandemic was…
PublicationsUncategorizedWorking PapersThe Case of Sweden and Covid-19
September 4, 2020

The Case of Sweden and Covid-19

By Rui Llera Blanes, July 2020 Disclaimer: I am a university professor employed at the University of Gothenburg and living in Sweden since January 2018. Prior to that, I have…
PublicationsWorking PapersPandemic: The Italian Way
September 4, 2020

Pandemic: The Italian Way

By Wolf Bukowski, July 2020At the beginning we were mocked, abroad,’ says Romano Prodi referring to the government's response to Covid-19, ‘But now we hear people call it  the Italian…
PublicationsWorking PapersChina and State Capacity in the Era of Covid-19
September 2, 2020

China and State Capacity in the Era of Covid-19

By Flora Sapio, July 2020For decades, the Asian continent has seen the import of concepts devised in Europe or in the United States, and it has been on the receiving…
NewsState ReformNow or Never: It’s time to Create Real, Lasting Procurement Reform
September 1, 2020

Now or Never: It’s time to Create Real, Lasting Procurement Reform

1 September 2020 Corruption Watch and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) have submitted the following open letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa and Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni, both of…
PublicationsUncategorizedWorking PapersThe Case of Sweden and Covid-19
August 28, 2020

The Case of Sweden and Covid-19

By Rui Llera Blanes, July 2020 Disclaimer: I am a university professor employed at the University of Gothenburg and living in Sweden since January 2018. Prior to that, I have…
State ReformToolkit for Public Servants | Resources
August 28, 2020

Toolkit for Public Servants | Resources

Local GovernmentPublicationsReportsEnd of the Road: A critical review of the local government fiscal framework
August 26, 2020

End of the Road: A critical review of the local government fiscal framework

A  report by Tracy Ledger and Mahlatse Rampedi.   a financial cul-de-sac that many of the local municipalities and districts have already reached across the whole country, with a few…
blogLand GovernanceNewsOpen Letter to the President | We are not ‘in this together’
August 24, 2020

Open Letter to the President | We are not ‘in this together’

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT: WE ARE NOT 'IN THIS TOGETHER’, POOR WOMEN NEED LAND JUSTICE! Dear President Ramaphosa, We appreciate your efforts in trying to curb the rampant spread…
Local GovernmentNewsPress releasePress Release | The End Of The Road
August 21, 2020

Press Release | The End Of The Road

The End of the Road: A critical review of the local government fiscal framework A new study on municipal failure in South Africa Press Release   a financial cul-de-sac that…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewsSeminarswebinarsWebinar | Land Reform and the Art of Government: The role and capacity of the state
July 28, 2020

Webinar | Land Reform and the Art of Government: The role and capacity of the state

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi will be participating in this webinar, organised by PLAAS at the University of the Western Cape, on government roles and capacities in land reform. Watch the public…
Just TransitionOp EdPublicationsAnother Reason Why Eskom is the Bull in the Fiscal China Shop
July 20, 2020

Another Reason Why Eskom is the Bull in the Fiscal China Shop

By Tracy Ledger   We have seen many headlines over the past two years highlighting the negative effects of Eskom on the national fiscus. Billions of rands have been allocated…
Food securityMulti-mediaMultimediaNewsWatch | Women go hungry for the sake of their children
July 16, 2020

Watch | Women go hungry for the sake of their children

Dr Tracy Ledger is quoted in the Daily Maverick article, Many Mothers Going Hungry For the Sake Of Their Children, New Data Shows, on her work on food security and…
Local GovernmentOp EdPublicationsPatronage and lack of ethics creates a culture of impunity in municipalities
July 16, 2020

Patronage and lack of ethics creates a culture of impunity in municipalities

By Dr Thina Nzo Patronage, and its cemented co-existence within the bureaucracy, has become the Achilles heel that contributes to poor financial performance outcomes. This makes troubleshooting budget and treasury…
MultimediaMultimediaNewsPublic PolicyWatch | Public Health System Under Scrutiny
July 3, 2020

Watch | Public Health System Under Scrutiny

 Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi and Professor Alex Van den Heever joined SABC Morning Live via Zoom this morning. Watch the full video below. South Africa's Public Health System has been allocated…
NewsPolicy briefs and resourcesState ReformSubmission to the Draft Public Procurement Bill
July 3, 2020

Submission to the Draft Public Procurement Bill

PARI’s state reform programme is centrally focused on the relationship between politics and the state administration, it seeks to reduce the influence of corruption and patronage on South African politics,…
Annual ReportsPublicationsAnnual Report 2019/20
July 1, 2020

Annual Report 2019/20

the year in review RESTRUCTURING AND COLLABORATION Coming out of a leadership crisis in the previous year, 2019 was a year of internal restructuring, and has yielded a sea change…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsState ReformArticle | The Public Procurement Bill Needs Better Enforcement
June 29, 2020

Article | The Public Procurement Bill Needs Better Enforcement

THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT BILL NEEDS BETTER ENFORCEMENT: A SUGGESTED PROVISION TO EMPOWER AND INCENTIVISE WHISTLE-BLOWERS Jonathan Klaaren, Ryan Brunette   Abstract Among other reforms, South African public procurement law needs…
Op EdPublicationsState ReformReal Relief Requires Reform of the State Recruitment
June 22, 2020

Real Relief Requires Reform of the State Recruitment

by Thokozani Chilenga-Butao The recruitment processes in government have been under debate and scrutiny for years. Allegations of nepotism, cadre deployment and the recruitment of unqualified candidates in government departments…
Civil society organisationsNewsState ReformLetter to the Zondo Commission: Commission responds
June 21, 2020

Letter to the Zondo Commission: Commission responds

The Zondo Commission responded on 15 June to the CSWG's open letter. Read both letters here.   On the Civil Society Working Group's letter to the Zondo Commission, calling for…
EventsMultimediaNewsState ReformwebinarsWebinar | Unpacking Infrastructure Delivery In Relation to the Draft Procurement Bill
June 20, 2020

Webinar | Unpacking Infrastructure Delivery In Relation to the Draft Procurement Bill

Watch the full webinar video from Thursday, 18 June for the event Unpacking Infrastructure Delivery In Relation To The Draft Procurement Bill. The PARI resources link, including NPC links, referred…
EventsPublicationsReportsState ReformDialogue Report | Envisioning A New Path for SOEs
June 11, 2020

Dialogue Report | Envisioning A New Path for SOEs

Strategic Dialogue Group (SDG) and Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) held a successful interactive dialogue session which emphasised a need to move public discourse towards practical solutions and actions that…
FeaturedPublicationsState ReformWorking PapersPosition Papers | Public Procurement
May 31, 2020

Position Papers | Public Procurement

At our conference last year – Defeating State Capture and Reforming the State – in collaboration with Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, an outcome was that Public Procurement is a key area…
MultimediaNewsState ReformWatch | Civil society resorts to courts to enforce good governance
May 29, 2020

Watch | Civil society resorts to courts to enforce good governance

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi spoke to SABC on Morning Live on 29 May 2020. "The decision by the High Court in Pretoria to declare former South African Airways Board Chair Dudu…
OISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | A better and united Africa for all is still possible
May 27, 2020

Op Ed | A better and united Africa for all is still possible

By Patrick Kadima In 1999 two teenage Africans from Guinea were found in the landing gear of an Airbus operated by the now defunct Belgian airline known as Sabena. What…
OISOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Covid 19: A test of Africa’s solidarity and resilience
May 27, 2020

Op Ed | Covid 19: A test of Africa’s solidarity and resilience

By Patrick Kadima In 2014, Africa was faced with the Ebola epidemic, which affected mainly West African countries, causing fatalities and disrupting the economic sectors.During that, certain African leaders made…
FeaturedNewsState ReformOpen letter to the President: Make sure emergency funds are not wasted or stolen
May 24, 2020

Open letter to the President: Make sure emergency funds are not wasted or stolen

Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa  We, the undersigned organisations, commend you for the decisive action taken over the last few weeks in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. We note the efforts…
FeaturedNewsState ReformBlog | High Time for a Capable State
May 19, 2020

Blog | High Time for a Capable State

By Mbongiseni Buthelezi Nothing demonstrates how much we need a capable state like a crisis. Despite the wealthy and the middle class having checked out of using public services in…
EventsFeaturedMultimediaState ReformUncategorizedwebinarsWebinar | Launch event for Recruitment Position Paper on State Reform
May 7, 2020

Webinar | Launch event for Recruitment Position Paper on State Reform

On 6 May 2020, 2pm, PARI launched online a position paper on state reform titled "Appointment and Dismissal in the Public Service and Municipalities", authored by Ryan Brunette. This was…
FeaturedPublicationsState ReformWorking PapersPosition Paper | Recruitment in the Public Service
April 20, 2020

Position Paper | Recruitment in the Public Service

This position paper is one of a series of three papers that argue for crucial reforms of the South African state. The goal of these reforms is to realise a…
FeaturedFood securityNewsOp EdOp Ed | South Africa’s Invisible Majority: Women Feeding Hungry Families
April 16, 2020

Op Ed | South Africa’s Invisible Majority: Women Feeding Hungry Families

By Dr Julie Smith and Dr Tracy Ledger If there is just one outcome from the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa that could be considered positive, it is this: for…
FeaturedJust TransitionNewsOp EdOp Ed | SA Needs a Medupi Write-Off
April 16, 2020

Op Ed | SA Needs a Medupi Write-Off

By Dr Tracy Ledger There are growing global calls for a debt write-off for developing countries because of Covid-19. Eskom received a $3.75-billion loan from the World Bank in 2010,…
FeaturedPublicationsState ReformWorking PapersPosition Papers | Criminal Justice System
April 14, 2020

Position Papers | Criminal Justice System

This position paper is one of a series of three papers that argue for crucial reforms of the South African state. The goal of these reforms is to realise a…
Food securityNewsPLAAS: Food in the time of Corona
April 2, 2020

PLAAS: Food in the time of Corona

Dr Tracy Ledger's work on food security provided insights towards this revelatory article by PLAAS on the state of access to food in the time of the Corona virus. "Around…
ConferencesFeaturedNewsState ReformState Capture and State Reform Conference Report
April 1, 2020

State Capture and State Reform Conference Report

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) hosted a conference entitled: Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State on 23 October 2019. The…
FeaturedFood securityMultimediaNewsListen | Food security in the time of Covid-19 lockdown
April 1, 2020

Listen | Food security in the time of Covid-19 lockdown

Eusebius Mckaiser on Radio 702 hosted a one-hour panel and call-in show on rights to food security during the Covid-19 pandemic, with panellists Dr Tracy Ledger, Mervyn Abrahams, Mazibuko Jara…
FeaturedNewsEconomists write to Ramaphosa suggesting better Corona measures
March 31, 2020

Economists write to Ramaphosa suggesting better Corona measures

78 economists - and at least 29 others in supporting fields, including PARI - say that government can do more to mitigate the economic harm of Covid-19. They have addressed…
EventsNewsState ReformPostponed | Public Procurement Position Paper Launch
March 25, 2020

Postponed | Public Procurement Position Paper Launch

DUE TO GLOBAL CONCERNS AROUND COVID-19, THE LAUNCH EVENT FOR THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT POSITION PAPER IS BEING POSTPONED UNTIL LATER IN 2020. The Position Paper will be made available online…
FeaturedNewsState ReformSAFTU slams the state’s response to Covid-19, calls for social solidarity
March 25, 2020

SAFTU slams the state’s response to Covid-19, calls for social solidarity

PARI has endorsed the following statement by Zwelenzima Vavi, General Secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU). The state isn’t pulling its weight! 24 March 2020 The…
Civil society organisationsFeaturedMultimediaNewsState ReformvideosWATCH | State Capture and Civil Society – a PARI presentation
March 18, 2020

WATCH | State Capture and Civil Society – a PARI presentation

The Public Affairs Research Institute presented some ideas on state capture and civil society at the RAITH Foundation's Brown Bag Sessions on 13 March 2020. Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi asks what…
FeaturedMultimediaNewsState ReformListen | Practical Solutions and Actions Can Rescue SOEs
March 18, 2020

Listen | Practical Solutions and Actions Can Rescue SOEs

The Strategic Dialogue Group (SDG) and Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) say it's practical solutions and actions that can rescue state-owned entities. SDG and PARI held a joint interactive dialogue…
NewsPress releaseState ReformPress Release | It’s Time for Practical SOE Solutions
March 17, 2020

Press Release | It’s Time for Practical SOE Solutions

MEDIA STATEMENT For immediate release; 16 March 2020 Johannesburg IT’S TIME FOR PRACTICAL SOE SOLUTIONS Strategic Dialogue Group (SDG) and Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) held a successful interactive dialogue…
EventsLand GovernanceNewsPostponed | Joburg Urban Governance Dialogue
March 15, 2020

Postponed | Joburg Urban Governance Dialogue

Following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa declaring Covid-19 a national disaster, please be advised that this event has been postponed. We will be in communication during this week about…
Civil society organisationsFeaturedState ReformFully Booked | A New Path for SOEs
March 8, 2020

Fully Booked | A New Path for SOEs

PARI and the Strategic Dialogue Group are holding a panel discussion next month with a compelling lineup of speakers. The programme will enable leadership from different perspectives and stakeholders – inside the…
FeaturedOp EdPublicationsState ReformThe Public Procurement Bill Needs An Enforcement Strategy
March 5, 2020

The Public Procurement Bill Needs An Enforcement Strategy

By Ryan Brunette and Jonathan Klaaren South African public procurement law needs a tougher approach to enforcement. It will have one if it empowers and incentivises whistle-blowers. The Public Procurement…
FeaturedNewsPress releaseSet the Apartheid Secrets Free | Statement in Solidarity with SAHA
March 3, 2020

Set the Apartheid Secrets Free | Statement in Solidarity with SAHA

We, the undersigned organisations and individuals committed to justice for historical crimes and social justice in South Africa write in support of the South African History Archive. On Tuesday 03…
FeaturedNewsWelcome to New PARI Staff and Associates
March 3, 2020

Welcome to New PARI Staff and Associates

PARI is delighted to welcome some new faces to the Institute, and some old faces to new appointments. As 2020 takes off, we are looking forward to working together to…
FeaturedState ReformCivil Society Working Group launches a Joint Submission to the Zondo Commission
February 21, 2020

Civil Society Working Group launches a Joint Submission to the Zondo Commission

On Wednesday, 19 February 2020, the Civil Society Working Group (CSWG) launched its joint submission of recommendations to the Zondo Commission into State Capture. The CSWG brings together at least…
FeaturedIn the MediaOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | Ramaphosa Must Rebuild Trust In The Public Service
February 17, 2020

Op Ed | Ramaphosa Must Rebuild Trust In The Public Service

By Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi   In the 2020 State of the Nation Address, President Cyril Ramaphosa presented an impressive gamut of key initiatives that need to be or are already…
FeaturedIn the MediaMultimediaState ReformListen | Chilenga-Butao comments on PSC investigation into dodgy appointments
February 3, 2020

Listen | Chilenga-Butao comments on PSC investigation into dodgy appointments

On 30 January 2020, PARI Research Associate and Political Studies lecturer Thokozani Chilenga-Butao chatted to Bongani Bingwa on Radio 702 about alleged nepotism in the Public Service Commission (PSC). The…
EventsFeaturedMultimediaOISvideosOIS Orientation 2020
January 31, 2020

OIS Orientation 2020

On Wednesday 29 January, 2020, the Organisational and Institutional Studies department at Wits University held an orientation session for the new 2020 cohort of Honours, Masters and PhD students. The…
FeaturedNewsCall for applications | Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity #AFRE2020
January 10, 2020

Call for applications | Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity #AFRE2020

The Nelson Mandela Foundation has just opened applications for #AFRE2020. If you are changemaker with a track record of impact, apply for this amazing opportunity!! https://racialequity.atlanticfellows.org/   PARI is a…
ConferencesLand GovernanceNewsRetreat and Belonging in Upper Class Gated Communities
November 28, 2019

Retreat and Belonging in Upper Class Gated Communities

Dr Federica Duca presented at a conference at the Bartlett School of Architecture in London, titled Breaking down the nation-state: retreat and belonging in upper class gated communities in Johannesburg.…
EducationFeaturedPublicationsReportsSchools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape – A case study
November 27, 2019

Schools Rationalisation in the Eastern Cape – A case study

This case study was written by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), which is affiliated to the University of the Witwatersrand. PARI played a knowledge management role on the project;…
Civil society organisationsPSR RoundtablesState ReformRoundtable discussion | Appointments to the leadership of the NPA
November 22, 2019

Roundtable discussion | Appointments to the leadership of the NPA

hosted by the Dullah Omar Institute (DOI) and Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI)   The Constitution and the NPA Act provide that the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) is…
In the MediaState ReformFor an ethical public sector, remove politics from its appointment
November 21, 2019

For an ethical public sector, remove politics from its appointment

Politicians being responsible for senior public servants’ appointments has historical reasons that need to change in post-apartheid SA 13 November 2019 - 05:05 Kris Dobie Discussions of ethical challenges in…
FeaturedNewsPeople’s Guide to Archives and Democracy
November 21, 2019

People’s Guide to Archives and Democracy

This People's Guide to Archives in South Africa seeks to provide information and links to ways in which civil society, researchers and organisations can be empowered in order to gain…
EventsState ReformPanel Discussion | Fixing the State: From Diagnosis to Treatment
November 11, 2019

Panel Discussion | Fixing the State: From Diagnosis to Treatment

The Strategic Dialogue Group convenes a panel discussion on 9 November featuring Tracy Ledger from PARI, alongside Crispian Olver, Yolisa Pikie and Percy Mahlathi. 'The aim of the panel is…
ConferencesNewsAfrican regional workshop on effective governance for sustainable development
November 6, 2019

African regional workshop on effective governance for sustainable development

From October 30 to November 1 2019, Tracy Ledger and Thokozani Chilenga-Butao attended a workshop co-organised by UNDESA and AU/APRM in collaboration with UNDP, titled African regional workshop on effective…
MaterialsState ReformWorking PapersPosition Papers on Proposals for State Reform
October 25, 2019

Position Papers on Proposals for State Reform

Position Papers on State Reform #FixTheState This provides a  description of the three position papers that argue for crucial reforms of the South African state. The goals of these reforms…
ConferenceFeaturedState ReformUncategorizedConference Highlights | Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State
October 24, 2019

Conference Highlights | Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State

Welcome “We will not be silenced”, stated Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF) Board Chair Derek Hanekom, opening a day-long civil society engagement, hosted by PARI and AKF on 23 October. The…
FeaturedLocal GovernmentNewsReport Review | The Problem of Failing Municipalities
October 22, 2019

Report Review | The Problem of Failing Municipalities

By Adriaan Kruger, Moneyweb, 22 October 2019 A research report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (Pari) on the financial state of South Africa’s municipalities has received very little attention…
FeaturedOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | People Must Participate In Governance
October 21, 2019

Op Ed | People Must Participate In Governance

By Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi and Dr Tracy Ledger The civil society conference on October  23, organised by the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Public Affairs Research Institute (Pari), is an attempt…
ConferenceFeaturedState ReformPublic Session | Keynote Address by Mcebisi Jonas
October 21, 2019

Public Session | Keynote Address by Mcebisi Jonas

BooksEventsPublicationsLaunch | A House Divided
October 9, 2019

Launch | A House Divided

Research Associate Crispian Olver launches his new book, A House Divided: The feud that took Cape Town to the Brink. Olver will be in conversation with finance journalist Siki Mgabadeli.…
Civil society organisationsConferencePress releaseState ReformThe People’s Hearing on State Capture
October 8, 2019

The People’s Hearing on State Capture

PARI is a member of the Civil Society Working Group, along with over 20 other civil society organisations. Saturday, 12 October 2019 10.00 — 15.00 Women's Jail, Constitution Hill The…
FeaturedLocal GovernmentOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | We Already Have a Solution to Failing Municipalities: It’s in the fine print
October 7, 2019

Op Ed | We Already Have a Solution to Failing Municipalities: It’s in the fine print

By Tracy Ledger If we have a cleverly designed and detailed piece of constitutional legislation designed specifically to prevent it, why do we have municipalities in total collapse? The short…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsListen | PARI local govt report on 702
October 7, 2019

Listen | PARI local govt report on 702

On 4 October, journalist Theto Mahlakoana spoke to Joanne Joseph on Radio 702's Afternoon Drive, discussing PARI's latest report, Mind The Gap: Section 139 interventions in theory and in practise.…
UncategorizedVacancy | Senior Researcher: Local Government
October 7, 2019

Vacancy | Senior Researcher: Local Government

SENIOR RESEARCHER: LOCAL GOVERNMENT   Closing date: 31 October 2019   The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is a Johannesburg-based organisation that studies the effectiveness of state institutions in the…
NewsVacancy | Senior Researcher: Land Sector
October 7, 2019

Vacancy | Senior Researcher: Land Sector

SENIOR RESEARCHER: LAND SECTOR Closing date: 31 October 2019   The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is a Johannesburg-based organisation that studies the effectiveness of state institutions in the discharge…
ConferencesFeaturedNewsThe Question of Agency in African Studies
October 4, 2019

The Question of Agency in African Studies

On 3 October, Dr Federica Duca appeared on a panel at the international doctoral workshop, The Question of Agency in Africa Studies. The workshop was held by the University of…
State ReformUncategorizedREGISTER | Civil Society Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State
October 2, 2019

REGISTER | Civil Society Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State

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EventsNewsSeminarsWorkshop | Reviewing an ethical global research tookit
October 2, 2019

Workshop | Reviewing an ethical global research tookit

On 2 October, Thatshisiwe Ndlovu held a workshop at PARI offices to review an Ethical Global Research Toolkit produced by the University of Edinburgh. The Toolkit comes out of a…
FeaturedGovernmentLocal GovernmentPublicationsReportsMind The Gap: Section 139 interventions in theory and practice
October 2, 2019

Mind The Gap: Section 139 interventions in theory and practice

By Tracy Ledger and Mahlatse Rampedi "There are fifteen municipalities that for the last three consecutive years have received either a disclaimer or adverse audit outcome, or have failed to…
#AfterCaptureCivil society organisationsConferenceEventsState ReformBuilding An Alliance for State Reform #FixTheState
September 30, 2019

Building An Alliance for State Reform #FixTheState

On 21 August, PARI met with civil society organisations to discuss an alliance for state reform, and presented three working papers detailing proposals for reform in three key areas. This…
#AfterCaptureConferenceEventsState ReformCivil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State
September 27, 2019

Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State

PARI is collaborating with the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation on 23 October to host the conference: Civil Society Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State - Taking stock and moving forward.…
ConferencesFood securityNewsTracy Ledger on Food Security at Governance Innovation Week 2019
September 26, 2019

Tracy Ledger on Food Security at Governance Innovation Week 2019

On 25 September, the Centre for Governance Innovation held a workshop on ‘The State of Food Governance in South Africa’ at the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria.…
BooksFeaturedPublicationsElection 2019: Change and stability in South Africa’s democracy
September 25, 2019

Election 2019: Change and stability in South Africa’s democracy

Thokozani Chilenga-Butao is a contributor to the new Jacana title, Election 2019. Election 2019 discusses political party campaigns, the media’s coverage of the campaigns, the latest trends in political participation…
Local GovernmentPublicationsWorking PapersWorking Paper | Rents and Repurposing in Two South African Cities
September 19, 2019

Working Paper | Rents and Repurposing in Two South African Cities

Towards a Typology of City Governance Regimes By Crispian Olver Abstract The systemic nature of corruption in local government needs to be understood it terms of the social and economic…
FeaturedNewsOISOIS Open Day – 19 September
September 6, 2019

OIS Open Day – 19 September

On 19 September, the Organisational and Institutional Studies Department at Wits University held an Open Day to inform potential Honours, Masters and PhD students about the courses on offer in…
ConferencesFeaturedLocal GovernmentNewsDr Tracy Ledger on Good Governance in Post-Apartheid South Africa
September 6, 2019

Dr Tracy Ledger on Good Governance in Post-Apartheid South Africa

What is the state for? Contestations around the definition of ‘good governance’ in post-apartheid South Africa – Tracy Ledger This paper will present findings from ethnographic work undertaken in various…
State ReformUncategorizedAlliance for State Reform #FixTheState
September 2, 2019

Alliance for State Reform #FixTheState

The form below has a brief description of the proposed alliance, and enables you to indicate whether you would support its formation and the types of contribution that you would…
#AfterCaptureNewsState ReformPerspectives on State Capture
August 30, 2019

Perspectives on State Capture

The August issue of Heinrich Böll Stiftung's Perspectives includes contributions from Dr Tracy Ledger and Crispian Olver. In the opening article, Tracy Ledger provocatively asks whether a different version of…
#AfterCaptureNewsState ReformDr Florencia Belvedere on Criminal Justice Reform
August 30, 2019

Dr Florencia Belvedere on Criminal Justice Reform

The Helen Suzman Foundation's recent report on independence and accountability in the criminal justice system included a contribution from Florencia Belvedere, who leads PARI's #AfterCapture state reform campaign.   FLORENCIA…
NewsThe Sad Passing of Mpho Mohapi
August 27, 2019

The Sad Passing of Mpho Mohapi

It is with great sadness that PARI announces the passing of Head of Administration Mpho Mohapi on Thursday, 8 August. Mpho was one of PARI's very first employees, sporting a…
FeaturedOp EdPublicationsState ReformThe politics of South Africa’s patronage system: The process of anti-patronage reform (Part Two)
August 26, 2019

The politics of South Africa’s patronage system: The process of anti-patronage reform (Part Two)

By Ryan Brunette South Africa has witnessed the rise of machine politics. Part One considered the dynamics of this development. Political machines work to extract resources from the public programmes…
NewsHiring | Executive Director Position
August 16, 2019

Hiring | Executive Director Position

Executive Director, Johannesburg The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) is a Johannesburg-based organisation that studies the effectiveness of state institutions in the discharge of…
Local GovernmentNewsDr Tracy Ledger on Joburg’s Consumer Debt
August 9, 2019

Dr Tracy Ledger on Joburg’s Consumer Debt

Joburg’s most cash-strapped residents can look forward to some relief soon, when a plan aimed at helping them and reducing the size of the city’s debtors book is introduced, says…
EventsFeaturedBook Launch | Election 2019: Change and Stability in South Africa’s Democracy
August 1, 2019

Book Launch | Election 2019: Change and Stability in South Africa’s Democracy

PARI research associate and Wits Politics lecturer, Thokozani Chilenga-Butao, has contributed a chapter to Election 2019: Change and Stability in South Africa's Democracy, a new book published by Jacana Media…
NewsOISOIS Students Graduate
August 1, 2019

OIS Students Graduate

Organisational and Institutional Studies' first cohort of students proudly graduated at Wits University on 7 July 2019. Honours graduates are: Violet Molefe, Obert Nangara, Anivuyina Ketsiwe, Mabothlale Mbatane, Nosipho Manana.…
FeaturedLand GovernanceNewsThe Politics Of Leisure And Exclusion: Critical perspectives on golf
July 30, 2019

The Politics Of Leisure And Exclusion: Critical perspectives on golf

On 25 July, Dr Federica Duca gave a lecture to University of Johannesburg's third-year Architecture students (UJ FADA). The title of the lecture was The Politics of Leisure and Exclusion:…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedState ReformUncategorizedPSA Gives Too Much Power To Politicians, says Ryan Brunette
July 30, 2019

PSA Gives Too Much Power To Politicians, says Ryan Brunette

A recent article in the Farmer's Weekly covered the Estina/Vrede Dairy Project which has featured at the Zondo Commission, and consulted PARI's Ryan Brunette on the reasons behind these forms…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | The Politics of South Africa’s Patronage System (Part One)
July 25, 2019

Op Ed | The Politics of South Africa’s Patronage System (Part One)

By Ryan Brunette South Africa is entering its second recession in as many years. Gross domestic product per person has returned to the levels of 2008. Unemployment, already at five…
FeaturedMultimediaNewsOISvideosWatch | OIS Introduces A New PhD Programme
July 18, 2019

Watch | OIS Introduces A New PhD Programme

Organisational and Institutional Studies (OIS) is a multidisciplinary degree programme in the School of Social Sciences at Wits University. The department offers Honours and Masters levels, and introduces a new…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedState ReformLong road ahead for new SOE law
July 10, 2019

Long road ahead for new SOE law

Involve the public, says Dr Tracy Ledger. This article was first published by *ParlyBeat Despite public pressure for urgency in addressing problems in state-owned entities (SOEs), there is still a…
#AfterCaptureState ReformThe Usual Suspects in State Capture – Politicsweb
June 28, 2019

The Usual Suspects in State Capture – Politicsweb

"At the 2018 conference under the title State Capture and its Aftermath hosted by the Public Affairs Research Institute, Mr John Githongo, a prominent anti-corruption activist from Kenya, described the…
#AfterCaptureMultimediaState ReformListen | Structural reforms are required to reclaim the state #BetterState
June 27, 2019

Listen | Structural reforms are required to reclaim the state #BetterState

Thoko Chilenga-Butao, Associate Lecturer and Doctoral Fellow at PARI, spoke to Bob Mabena on the Power Breakfast show on 27 June 2019, about the forthcoming proposals for state reform in…
ConferencesFeaturedNewsWatson Institute | Cities, Citizens and Governance Conference
June 19, 2019

Watson Institute | Cities, Citizens and Governance Conference

On 30 May to 1 June 2019, Dr Marcus Walton attended a conference held by the Watson Institute at Brown University, titled Cities, Citizens and Governance in the 21st Century.…
FeaturedOp EdPublicationsState ReformOp Ed | ANC Should Stop Recycling Old Ideas
June 14, 2019

Op Ed | ANC Should Stop Recycling Old Ideas

By Thokozani Chilenga-Butao There is an important question people used to ask before Nkandla, state capture, Thuma Mina and Ramaphoria became the most important issues in South Africa: Who comes…
#AfterCaptureState ReformMedia Statement | Proposals for state reform #BetterState
June 13, 2019

Media Statement | Proposals for state reform #BetterState

Proposals for State Reform A collaborative series of position papers on how to make the state work better MEDIA STATEMENT   Three position papers, to be released by the Public…
EventsFeaturedThe Narratives of Change – Nelson Mandela Foundation
June 13, 2019

The Narratives of Change – Nelson Mandela Foundation

The Nelson Mandela Foundation has just announced the 2019 cohort of Atlantic Fellows for Racial Equity.  They will be hosting a public dialogue on 22 June in Houghton that is…
NewsChilenga-Butao Assesses Ramaphosa’s Cabinet Decisions
June 3, 2019

Chilenga-Butao Assesses Ramaphosa’s Cabinet Decisions

PARI PhD Fellow and Wits Political Science Lecturer Thokozani Chilenga-Butao spoke to Cape Talk Radio about President Cyril Ramaphosa's new Cabinet, that was sworn in on Thursday, 30 May. While…
Civil society organisationsNewsState ReformCivil Society Calls on EFF to Raise its Political Game
May 31, 2019

Civil Society Calls on EFF to Raise its Political Game

PARI has joined a collective call to the EFF political party to stop threats and intimidation, violent language, undemocratic assault in the media and racist pronouncements. The statement urges the…
Land GovernanceMultimediaNewstraditional leadersListen | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on Traditional Leadership and Democracy
May 30, 2019

Listen | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on Traditional Leadership and Democracy

The evolution of traditional leadership and its impact post-democracy THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED HERE   We have seen a number of stories around developments in various royal households in…
EventsNewsA People’s Guide to the Archives
May 29, 2019

A People’s Guide to the Archives

You are invited to a panel discussion and launch of a digital guide on ‘Archives and Democracy’ Speakers: Yasmin Sooka (Foundation for Human Rights), Mbongiseni Buthelezi (Public Affairs Research Institute),…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedMaterialsState Reform#AfterCapture | Kenya’s Inability to Fight State Capture
May 29, 2019

#AfterCapture | Kenya’s Inability to Fight State Capture

PARI supports this new report by the Africa Centre for Open Governance (AfriCOG), explaining why President Uhuru Kenyatta’s current anti-corruption efforts are unlikely to work. The problem, the study shows,…
FeaturedJournal ArticlesLocal GovernmentPublicationsArticle | Document Wars and the Local Archives: The Case of Mogalakwena Local Municipality
May 27, 2019

Article | Document Wars and the Local Archives: The Case of Mogalakwena Local Municipality

By Joel Pearson ABSTRACT In this article, I explore the flows of official paperwork in the troubled Mogalakwena Local Municipality in the Waterberg District of Limpopo Province from 2009 to…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedIn the MediaSA PoliticsState CaptureState ReformPARI joins the call on all parties to ensure that the corrupt are not appointed
May 22, 2019

PARI joins the call on all parties to ensure that the corrupt are not appointed

Open Letter to Members of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces 22 May 2019 Dear Members of Parliament and Members of the National Council of Provinces Congratulations…
MultimediaMultimediaNewsState CaptureEcoutez | L’Afrique du Sud en transition au moment où son ancien président Jacob Zuma comparaît
May 20, 2019

Ecoutez | L’Afrique du Sud en transition au moment où son ancien président Jacob Zuma comparaît

Research Associate Thomas Lesaffre spoke to Radio Television Suisse (RTS) about former president Zuma and French arms company Thales going on trial for corruption. L'ancien président sud-africain comparaît aujourd'hui devant…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsState ReformArticle | Reform in the Contract State: Embedded directions in public procurement regulation in South Africa
May 20, 2019

Article | Reform in the Contract State: Embedded directions in public procurement regulation in South Africa

By Ryan Brunette, Jonathan Klaaren and Patronella Nqaba As South Africa contemplates another episode of public procurement legal reform, we trace the post-apartheid history of such efforts and consider critical…
NewsVacancy | Project Coordinator
May 17, 2019

Vacancy | Project Coordinator

PARI is looking for an experienced Project Coordinator to provide coordination and support to the research teams so that projects are implemented efficiently and effectively. He/she should provide all the…
MultimediaNewsEcoutez | Les 25 ans de la fin du régime d’apartheid en Afrique du Sud
May 13, 2019

Ecoutez | Les 25 ans de la fin du régime d’apartheid en Afrique du Sud

In the midst of national and provincial elections, research fellow Thomas Lesaffre talks to Radio Television Suisse (RTS) about the state of South Africa 25 years after the end of…
HR & VacanciesNewsSHAC (Wits) reconfirms Policies and Procedures against Gender-Based Harm
May 7, 2019

SHAC (Wits) reconfirms Policies and Procedures against Gender-Based Harm

Wits University is experiencing a significant pushback against its victim-centered policies and procedures for dealing with gender-based harm (GBH). Against this backdrop, the members of the Wits Sexual Harassment Advisory…
Land GovernanceNewsSeminarsIs Leisure Innocent?: Reflections from Golf Courses
May 6, 2019

Is Leisure Innocent?: Reflections from Golf Courses

Senior Researcher Dr Federica Duca participates in the Wiser/UMichigan Mellon collaborative seminar titled Spatial Typologies and the Built Environment: Navigating African Urban Landscapes. Dr Duca will talk on Monday, 6…
MultimediaNewsEcoutez | Les stigmates de l’apartheid encore présents 25 ans après les premières élections multiraciales
April 30, 2019

Ecoutez | Les stigmates de l’apartheid encore présents 25 ans après les premières élections multiraciales

Research fellow Thomas Lesaffre speaks to 'Forum' on Schweitzer Radio und Fernsehen on Freedom Day, 25 years after the first democratic elections in South Africa: C’était il y a tout…
Op EdPublicationsOp ed | #ShutDownAlex, symbole d’un développement à deux vitesses en Afrique du Sud
April 30, 2019

Op ed | #ShutDownAlex, symbole d’un développement à deux vitesses en Afrique du Sud

Research fellow Thomas Lesaffre writes about #ShutDownAlex and the ANC in the lead up to 2019 national elections on 8 May. Dans deux semaines, les Sud-Africains sont appelés à élire…
Annual ReportsFeatured2018 Annual Report
April 29, 2019

2018 Annual Report

The Year In Review In 2018, PARI took significant strides to start becoming a globally recognised organisation, and to develop a presence with organisations in other parts of the world.…
EducationFeaturedJournal ArticlesPublicationsArticle | State “Infrastructural Power” and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei
April 29, 2019

Article | State “Infrastructural Power” and the Bantustans: The Case of School Education in the Transkei and Ciskei

By Sarah Meny-Gibert   In this article I explore the authority of the state (and its “infrastructural power”) in school education in the Eastern Cape bantustans during and after “homeland”…
BooksFeaturedLand GovernanceMultimediaPublicationsWatch | Traditional Leaders in a Democracy Interview with Mbongiseni Buthelezi
April 20, 2019

Watch | Traditional Leaders in a Democracy Interview with Mbongiseni Buthelezi

Mbongiseni Buthelezi speaks about unaccountable leaders and apartheid legacies in an interview about the book, on which he is one of the editors, "Traditional Leaders in a Democracy: Resources, Respect…
FeaturedOp EdPublicationsElections Are At The Heart of Democracy in Africa
April 16, 2019

Elections Are At The Heart of Democracy in Africa

By Thokozani Chilenga-Butao and Gwinyai Taruvinga For the African continent to address the challenges that it faces, we need to strengthen Africa’s democracies. The conduct of elections is at the…
FeaturedNewsOISMeet the Students | OIS
April 16, 2019

Meet the Students | OIS

The Organisational and Institutional Studies academic programme at Wits University has gotten off to a strong start in the first semester of 2019. After last year's pilot Honours programme, the…
ConferencesLand GovernanceNewsFederica Duca on Wealth Inequality
April 12, 2019

Federica Duca on Wealth Inequality

The Southern Centre for Inequality Studies recently held a symposium on understanding inequality in the global South. The pre-conference event on 9 April 2019 featured a presentation by Dr Federica…
HR & VacanciesNewsHR | Sexual Harassment Policy
April 11, 2019

HR | Sexual Harassment Policy

PARI researchers and management alike called for transparency and good governance within the organisation, in keeping with the values underpinning the work that the organisation produces. PARI is proud to…
FeaturedPublic PolicyPublicationsState ReformPolicy Brief for Improved Prioritisation and M&E
April 8, 2019

Policy Brief for Improved Prioritisation and M&E

Following the commissioned literature review, The Challenge of Prioritisation and Alignment in Public Sector Planning and Implementation, for Twende Mbele (http://www.twendembele.org), authors Tracy Ledger and Sarah Meny-Gibert have extrapolated the…
EventsNewsThe Youth Reflect Society’s Mood, says Mosa Phadi
April 1, 2019

The Youth Reflect Society’s Mood, says Mosa Phadi

Image: EPA/Nic Bothma Dr Mosa Phadi was discussant on a panel talking about youth politics, the coming national elections and youth participation and engagement. Lelethu Tonisi's write up in the…
NewsSeminarsSeminar | Elections in Africa
March 25, 2019

Seminar | Elections in Africa

On Wednesday, 27 March, PARI fellow Thokozani Chilenga-Butao moderates a roundtable discussion unpacking the nature of elections, focusing on the challenges and opportunities African states face. The seminar will take…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedMaterialsPress releaseState ReformMedia Statement | Civil Society Working Group on State Capture
March 25, 2019

Media Statement | Civil Society Working Group on State Capture

Media Statement: Civil Society Working Group For release 20 March 2019 Resisting the looters who stole our human rights The struggle against State Capture and corruption in South Africa is…
FeaturedJust TransitionOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Not Knowing What The Problem Is, IS The Problem
March 25, 2019

Op Ed | Not Knowing What The Problem Is, IS The Problem

Not knowing what the problem is, IS the problem Dr Tracy Ledger Daily Maverick, 22 March 2019 Eskom has hit a brick wall and, by all accounts, no one in…
EventsFeaturedNewsArchives and Democracy revisited – a web-based guide
March 20, 2019

Archives and Democracy revisited – a web-based guide

Archives and Democracy: Testing the Archive   The anticipated activities under the extended project title “Archives & Democracy: Testing the Archive: A Guide” are a result of discussions held between…
ConferencesFeaturedLocal GovernmentNewsResearch partnership with SALGA: The question of local government
March 11, 2019

Research partnership with SALGA: The question of local government

On March 11 and 12, Dr Tracy Ledger and Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi attended the South Local Government Association (SALGA)'s 2nd Local Government Research Colloquium that sought to strengthen SALGA's research…
FeaturedJust TransitionOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Unbundling Eskom Will Reveal True ANC
March 9, 2019

Op Ed | Unbundling Eskom Will Reveal True ANC

Unbundling Eskom Will Reveal ANC’s True Nature Simba Lando, Thokozani Chilenga-Butao and Dr Tracy Ledger The Citizen, Saturday 9 March 2019 The mismanagement and corruption at Eskom has reached crisis…
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaMultimediaState ReformListen | How do we depoliticise our civil service and make it fitter for purpose?
March 5, 2019

Listen | How do we depoliticise our civil service and make it fitter for purpose?

JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZvbW55LmZtJTJGc2hvd3MlMkZtaWQtbW9ybmluZy1zaG93LTcwMiUyRmhvdy1kby13ZS1kZXBvbGl0aWNpc2Utb3VyLWNpdmlsLXNlcnZpY2UtYW5kLW1ha2UlMkZlbWJlZCUzRnN0eWxlJTNEY292ZXIlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjB3aWR0aCUzRCUyMjEwMCUyNSUyMiUyMGhlaWdodCUzRCUyMjE4MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmlmcmFtZSUzRQ== On March 5, 2019, Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi chatted to Eusebius McKaiser on Radio 702, about the need to depoliticise the public service, issues of cadre deployment and political legitimacy.…
BooksFeaturedLand GovernancePublicationsTraditional Leaders in a Democracy
February 28, 2019

Traditional Leaders in a Democracy

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi is one of the three editors on the book launched by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) on 28 February 2019.   Published by Jacana Media,…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedJust TransitionPublicationsReportsWhy the Lights Went Out: Reform in the South African Energy Sector
February 22, 2019

Why the Lights Went Out: Reform in the South African Energy Sector

By Tracy Ledger (van der Heijden), for the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice In 2019, Eskom's narrative is a cry of victimhood, laying blame…
FeaturedNewsOISOIS | New Masters Programme
February 6, 2019

OIS | New Masters Programme

Today PARI launched a new Masters degree to the Organisational and Institutional Studies academic programme at Wits University. For 2019, PARI has accepted 8 Honours students and 6 Masters students…
#AfterCaptureConferenceState ReformState Capture and its Aftermath conference report
January 31, 2019

State Capture and its Aftermath conference report

The State Capture and its Aftermath conference was a 3-day conference in the #AfterCapture campaign programme. It ran from 22-24 October 2018, featuring 17 panels and roundtables on the aftermath…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedState ReformLitRev | The Contract State
January 31, 2019

LitRev | The Contract State

10 Features of South Africa’s Contract State PARI's 2014 report remains relevant in the light of whistleblowers' revelations at the Zondo Commision of Enquiry into state capture. The report states…
Uncategorizedhambisana
January 24, 2019

hambisana

UncategorizedFarewell 2018!
December 14, 2018

Farewell 2018!

#AfterCaptureConferenceMultimediaState ReformvideosWatch | Justice Zak Yacoob’s Keynote Address
November 30, 2018

Watch | Justice Zak Yacoob’s Keynote Address

The State Capture and its Aftermath conference opened with an address by Professor Linda Chisholm, then-Chair of PARI's board, a note from Executive Director Mbongiseni Buthelezi and a keynote address…
FeaturedPublicationsReportsState ReformReport | The Challenge of Prioritisation and Alignment in Public Sector Planning and Implementation
November 29, 2018

Report | The Challenge of Prioritisation and Alignment in Public Sector Planning and Implementation

A literature review by Tracy Ledger and Sarah-Meny Gibert  Strategic planning has become increasingly popular in the public sector around the world, and is generally understood to mean “a systematic…
EducationEventsFeaturedSeminarsSeminar | The Politics and Governance of Basic Education with Brian Levy
November 21, 2018

Seminar | The Politics and Governance of Basic Education with Brian Levy

Brian Levy is the lead editor and co-author of The Politics and Governance of Basic Education: The tale of two South African Provinces. Brian Levy gave a seminar at PARI…
BooksFeaturedPublicationsTaxation and State FormationChapter | Towards a holistic understanding of taxes: coming to grips with the idea of the just tax in Cameroon
November 19, 2018

Chapter | Towards a holistic understanding of taxes: coming to grips with the idea of the just tax in Cameroon

by Federica Duca Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) This paper aims at enhancing an understanding of the world of taxes from a sociological perspective. It suggests that in order to…
Academic EngagementEventsFeaturedLand GovernanceNewsSeminarsWorkshop and Exhibition | Gated Communities and Townhouse Complexes
November 7, 2018

Workshop and Exhibition | Gated Communities and Townhouse Complexes

Gated Communities & Townhouse Complexes Workshop and Exhibition   In collaboration with IFAS (French Institute of South Africa) and LAVUE (Université Paris, Nanterre), PARI co-hosts a workshop on 14 November…
#AfterCaptureConferenceFeaturedGalleryMultimediaState ReformGallery | State Capture and its Aftermath
October 30, 2018

Gallery | State Capture and its Aftermath

Day 1 Day 1 continued Cocktail Evening with Conrad Koch Day 2 Day 2/3 Day 3 continued
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaMultimediaState ReformListen | State Capture and its Aftermath from Africa
October 29, 2018

Listen | State Capture and its Aftermath from Africa

PARI's 22-24 October #AfterCapture conference hosted international and local speakers in 17 panels over the three days. The rigorous programme featured papers presented by the speakers on the many and…
ConferencesEventsFeaturedFiscal HistoriesMultimediaNewsTaxation and State FormationvideosInterviews | Democracy, State-building and Taxation Workshop
October 28, 2018

Interviews | Democracy, State-building and Taxation Workshop

PARI, in conjuction with FES_South Africa, hosts a workshop from 15-16 October 2018 at the Hilton Hotel Nairobi on Democracy, State-building and Taxation: The role of fiscal activism in sub-Saharan…
EventsNewsWhat would a pro-black state look like?
October 26, 2018

What would a pro-black state look like?

PARI, in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, hosts a workshop from 29 - 31 October 2018. PARI will offer an engagement with the question of why the state and…
NewsSeminar | On the Peripheries of Citizenship
October 19, 2018

Seminar | On the Peripheries of Citizenship

PARI's internal seminars have started up again, kicking off with Marcus Walton's presentation of his paper, On the Peripheries: Protest and Public Goods in Continental Africa. In his paper, he…
EventsNewsGovernance through military operations
October 15, 2018

Governance through military operations

PARI researchers Thatshisiwe Ndlovu and Dr Sifiso Ndlovu collaborate on a roundtable “Governance through military operations: Violent pasts and prospects for national healing”. The roundtable on 17 October at the…
#AfterCaptureConferenceEventsState ReformHighlights and programme | State Capture and its Aftermath
October 10, 2018

Highlights and programme | State Capture and its Aftermath

The State Capture and its Aftermath conference will host some exciting speakers over the 3-day programme, from 22 - 24 October. Here are some of the highlights to look out…
#AfterCaptureConferenceEventsState ReformMap to the venue
October 10, 2018

Map to the venue

Venue: University of Johannesburg School of Tourism and Hospitality 57 Bunting road, Cottesloe, Johannesburg, 2092
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaState ReformListen | Does SA have the mechanisms for political accountability?
October 9, 2018

Listen | Does SA have the mechanisms for political accountability?

Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi contributed to a debate on whether South Africa has the necessary mechanisms for political accountability. Do we have a culture of accountability in our main political parties,…
#AfterCaptureConferenceEventsState ReformState Capture and its Aftermath | A cocktail evening
October 1, 2018

State Capture and its Aftermath | A cocktail evening

A cocktail evening with Conrad Koch and Chester Missing. The State Capture and its Aftermath conference will include an evening of light entertainment, drinks and opportunities to mingle informally with…
EventsLand GovernanceNewsFederica Duca on gated communities | Paris
October 1, 2018

Federica Duca on gated communities | Paris

Federica Duca was in Paris on 28 September, attending a seminar on gated communities. This half-day workshop took place at Nanterre University to reflect on the evolutions of urbanism in…
#AfterCaptureConferenceEventsState ReformGet the conference app
October 1, 2018

Get the conference app

We've built a mobile app for the State Capture and its Aftermath conference! If you have registered, you will have received an invitation to the app. Hot tip: It works…
Op EdPeople's Tribunal on Economic CrimeState ReformOp Ed | Denel’s Long Trail Of Corruption
September 19, 2018

Op Ed | Denel’s Long Trail Of Corruption

By Waseem Holland. The similarities between apartheid-era corruption and contemporary corruption are clear, even in today’s democratic South Africa, supposedly accountable to its citizens. Corruption is old, but now wears…
#AfterCaptureMaterialsNewsPeople's Tribunal on Economic CrimePeople’s Tribunal Delivery of Findings
September 14, 2018

People’s Tribunal Delivery of Findings

The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime will deliver its final findings to the public at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg on 20 September 2018. This follows six months, in which implicated…
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaMultimediaState ReformListen | Zuma says there is no state capture
September 13, 2018

Listen | Zuma says there is no state capture

Former president Jacob Zuma addressed students at the Walter Sisulu University of Technology in Mthatha on Wednesday 12 September. He again denied that the South African state was ever captured‚…
Journal ArticlesPublicationsSA PoliticsRead | Mosa Phadi on Understanding Steve Biko
September 12, 2018

Read | Mosa Phadi on Understanding Steve Biko

On the anniversary of Steve Biko's death – 12 September 1977 – the Review of African Political Economy journal posts an interview with Mosa Phadi titled Understanding Steve Biko:Race, Class…
OISUncategorizedThe first cohort: meet the 2018 OIS Honours Students
September 12, 2018

The first cohort: meet the 2018 OIS Honours Students

Paulina Hadebe is the Programme Coordinator. She holds a National Diploma in Public Management from Tshwane University of Technology and ensures the smooth running of the programme at Honours and…
FeaturedGovernmentPublicationsState ReformWorking Papers‘I am no longer applying straight’ – Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: Perspectives of public servants
September 10, 2018

‘I am no longer applying straight’ – Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: Perspectives of public servants

By Joel Pearson and Thatshisiwe Ndlovu Appointment, promotion and placement of officials in positions within government administrations is the subject of intense daily discourse by those working within the state…
NewsMosa Phadi receives African Humanities Postdoctoral Award
September 10, 2018

Mosa Phadi receives African Humanities Postdoctoral Award

Mosa Phadi has been accepted in to the African Humanities Program from the American Council of Learned Societies. Through fellowship competitions, regional workshops, and peer networking, the African Humanities Program…
Local GovernmentMultimediaNewsSA PoliticsListen | The rotten heart of Nelson Mandela Bay
September 7, 2018

Listen | The rotten heart of Nelson Mandela Bay

JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZvbW55LmZtJTJGc2hvd3MlMkZtaWQtbW9ybmluZy1zaG93LTcwMiUyRmhvdy10by1zdGVhbC1hLWNpdHklMkZlbWJlZCUyMiUyMHdpZHRoJTNEJTIyMTAwJTI1JTIyJTIwaGVpZ2h0JTNEJTIyMTgwcHglMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U=Crispian Olver spoke to talkshow host Eusebius McKaiser on 5 September about his book about the corruption in Nelson Mandela Bay, "How To Steal a City", published in 2017. Recent…
#AfterCaptureMaterialsState ReformHow One Word Can Change The Game
August 24, 2018

How One Word Can Change The Game

"The State Capacity Research Project  released a new report, How One Word Can Change The Game:  A Case Study Of State Capture And The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), which…
#AfterCaptureMaterialsPublicationsReportsState Capacity Research ProjectState ReformTransnet Inquiry Reference Book
August 24, 2018

Transnet Inquiry Reference Book

Investigating corruption in Transnet "As this report details, corruption at Transnet has centred largely on procurement, including questionable contracts for port cranes, locomotives, IT services, and advisory, financial management and…
FeaturedNewsOISUncategorizedIntroducing a new Masters programme to Organisational and Institutional Studies
August 23, 2018

Introducing a new Masters programme to Organisational and Institutional Studies

PARI introduces a new Masters programme at Wits University in 2019, in the field of Organisational and Institutional Studies in the School of Social Sciences. This follows a successful first…
BooksFeaturedMaterialsMultimediaPublicationsState ReformRead | Watch | Listen | Shadow State: The Politics of State Capture
August 21, 2018

Read | Watch | Listen | Shadow State: The Politics of State Capture

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EventsFeaturedNewsPARI hosts Master’s students from Brown University
August 16, 2018

PARI hosts Master’s students from Brown University

This August 19th - 27th, PARI will host a group of Master in Public Affairs students from Brown University in Rhode Island, USA. The group can look forward to an…
NewsTaxation and State FormationDr Duca joins the African Tax Research Network
August 3, 2018

Dr Duca joins the African Tax Research Network

Dr Federica Duca has become a member of the Scientific Committee of the African Tax Research Network (ATRN), placing her among a prestigious international group of policymakers, researchers and administrators,…
#AfterCapturePSR RoundtablesState ReformListen | Creating Sustainable SOEs
July 25, 2018

Listen | Creating Sustainable SOEs

DINEO MOGOTSI FROM #UNITEBEHIND ON THE KARIMA BROWN SHOWJTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZvbW55LmZtJTJGc2hvd3MlMkZ0YWxrLWF0LW5pbmUlMkZhZnRlcmNhcHR1cmUtY3JlYXRpbmctc3VzdGFpbmFibGUtc3RhdGUtb3duZWQtZW50ZSUyRmVtYmVkJTNGc3R5bGUlM0RhcnR3b3JrJTIyJTIwZnJhbWVib3JkZXIlM0QlMjIwJTIyJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIxMDAlMjUlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIxODAlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZpZnJhbWUlM0U= #AFTERCAPTURE: ROUNDTABLE SERIES No. 5 CREATING SUSTAINABLE STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES (SOEs) WEDNESDAY 25 JULY 2018 The Nelson Mandela School of Public…
#AfterCaptureJust TransitionPSR RoundtablesState ReformThe Future of Energy and State-owned Companies in SA
July 25, 2018

The Future of Energy and State-owned Companies in SA

In this fifth roundtable of the #AfterCapture Public Service Reform series, keynote speakers Catrina Godinho and Lauren Hermanus delivered a comprehensive and candid presentation on the role of state-owned enterprises…
#AfterCapturePSR RoundtablesState ReformKenneth Brown urges a hawk-eye on procurement
July 11, 2018

Kenneth Brown urges a hawk-eye on procurement

Third in the Public Service Reform Roundtable Series, which probes what should happen in the years following the decade of state capture, the former Chief Procurement Officer at National Treasury,…
#AfterCaptureConferenceFeaturedState ReformCall For Papers | State Capture and Its Aftermath
July 10, 2018

Call For Papers | State Capture and Its Aftermath

#AfterCaptureFeaturedPSR RoundtablesState ReformMinister Ayanda Dlodlo sees a new cadre of public servants
July 6, 2018

Minister Ayanda Dlodlo sees a new cadre of public servants

#AfterCapture Public Service Reform Roundtable Series IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE AND RECRUITMENT PROCESSES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR 09 JULY 2018, 17H30 – 20H00, Humanities Graduate Centre, Wits University   The fourth…
#AfterCaptureEventsPSR RoundtablesState Reform#AfterCapture: Public Service Reform Roundtable Series
July 3, 2018

#AfterCapture: Public Service Reform Roundtable Series

More than 20 years into democracy, South Africa finds itself having to rethink state transformation. As much as significant steps were taken immediately after 1994 to reconstitute the state and…
EventsFeaturedSeminarsState ReformSeminar | Embedded Cohesion, Governing Public Goods in Sâo Paulo, 1989–2016
July 1, 2018

Seminar | Embedded Cohesion, Governing Public Goods in Sâo Paulo, 1989–2016

Joint PARI - GCRO Seminar - Embedded Cohesion: Governing Public Goods in São Paulo, 1989-2016 Embedded Cohesion: Governing Public Goods in São Paulo, 1989-2016 Seminar presented by Benjamin Bradlow Wednesday…
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaMultimediaPSR RoundtablesState ReformListen | Civil Society Engages on Defending Constitutional Democracy
June 27, 2018

Listen | Civil Society Engages on Defending Constitutional Democracy

The Role of Civil Society in Deepening the Fight against State Capture   An engagement of some of South Africa's prominent civil society organisations was facilitated by the #AfterCapture campaign…
#AfterCaptureConferenceInfoState ReformSave the Date | State Capture and its Aftermath
June 27, 2018

Save the Date | State Capture and its Aftermath

The conference, State Capture and its Aftermath: Building Responsiveness Through State Reform, will take place in Johannesburg from 22 to 24 October, 2018. The aim of the conference, to be…
NewsUncategorizedIn with the new Board
June 25, 2018

In with the new Board

PARI's brand new Board of Directors convened their first meeting on 19 June 2018. After a few shuffles and changes over the course of 2018, the Board Chair is now…
#AfterCaptureIn the MediaMultimediaState ReformListen | State Capture Revealed Vulnerabilities in Government’s Workings
June 18, 2018

Listen | State Capture Revealed Vulnerabilities in Government’s Workings

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), working in partnership with a broader civil society has announced that it will be hosting a major conference on reconstructing public institutions in South…
FeaturedFiscal HistoriesPublicationsReportsState-Society RelationsTaxation and State FormationTaxation and State-Society Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa
June 6, 2018

Taxation and State-Society Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa

By Alice Soares Guimarães, Federica Duca and Thatshisiwe Ndlovu.   The centrality of taxation in the making and functioning of modern states is widely recognized in academic literature as well…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedIn the MediaMediaMultimediaState ReformListen | We need a conversation about professionalising the public service
May 29, 2018

Listen | We need a conversation about professionalising the public service

On 29 May, Dr Mbongiseni Buthelezi spoke to radio talkshow host Eusebius McKaiser about the need to reform the public service, with reference to PARI's #AfterCapture campaign. Read Cape Talk's…
EventsFeaturedNewsState-Society RelationsTaxation and State FormationReport Launch | What tax systems tell us about Africa
May 17, 2018

Report Launch | What tax systems tell us about Africa

Taxations and State-Society Relations in Sub-Saharan Africa: the cases of Cameroon, Mozambique and South Africa By Alice Soares Guimarães, Federica Duca and Thatshisiwe Ndlovu Download the report here. Understanding how…
#AfterCaptureFeaturedPSR RoundtablesState ReformThrough the Lens of Life Esidimeni: the collapse of a health department
May 16, 2018

Through the Lens of Life Esidimeni: the collapse of a health department

As part of the #AfterCapture campaign, PARI in May held a Public Service Reform Roundtable. This second-in-the-series discussion was to investigate one of the deadly side-effects of state capture in…
#AfterCaptureInfoMaterialsState ReformAfterCapture Programme Press Release
May 16, 2018

AfterCapture Programme Press Release

State Capture and its Aftermath: Developing an Agenda for State Reform A programme to build a responsive, working state Press Release Apart from major challenges in the structure and the…
Local GovernmentOp EdPublicationsOp Ed | Cyril Ramaphosa’s New Dawn is Breaking in Mahikeng
May 3, 2018

Op Ed | Cyril Ramaphosa’s New Dawn is Breaking in Mahikeng

By Thokozani J Chilenga President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke about a "new dawn" in his state of the nation address earlier this year. Since then, the new dawn has been repeated…
BooksPublicationsState ReformChapter | The End of Tyranny: How Civil Society in SA Fought Back
April 24, 2018

Chapter | The End of Tyranny: How Civil Society in SA Fought Back

Rising to the Populist Challenge is a groundbreaking playbook for the human rights field against populism, by Columbia-based research and advocacy organisation, Dejusticia. Ivor Chipkin's chapter talks about civil society's…
#AfterCapturePSR RoundtablesState ReformTime for Meritocratic Appointments, says Sizani (PSC)
April 20, 2018

Time for Meritocratic Appointments, says Sizani (PSC)

What Can Cabinet Do?, 10 April 2018, Wits Humanities Graduate Centre What happens #AfterCapture?  This is the theme of a trail-blazing set of consultations and seminars being run by the…
EventsLocal GovernmentNewsReport Launch | A ‘Lily-White’ Town in Transition
April 18, 2018

Report Launch | A ‘Lily-White’ Town in Transition

We Are Building a City: The Struggle for Self-Sufficiency in Lephalale Local Municipality By Dr Mosa Phadi and Joel Pearson Preface In 2006, Eskom unveiled plans for a new multi-billion…
Academic EngagementConferencesMultimediaNewsSeminarsvideosWatch | Talking Democratization in Buenos Aires
April 16, 2018

Watch | Talking Democratization in Buenos Aires

Rethinking Democratization in Africa and Latin America, 19-23 March 2018, hosted by PARI and the New School, NY in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Read more about the conference HERE. Share: #DemocratizationBA…
FeaturedLocal GovernmentPublicationsReportsWe Are Building a City: The Struggle for Self-Sufficiency in Lephalale Local Municipality
April 12, 2018

We Are Building a City: The Struggle for Self-Sufficiency in Lephalale Local Municipality

By Dr Mosa Phadi and Joel Pearson   In 2006, Eskom unveiled plans for a new multi-billion rand mega-project: the construction of the Medupi coal power station in the small…
#AfterCaptureMaterialsState ReformEskom Inquiry Reference Book
April 9, 2018

Eskom Inquiry Reference Book

#AfterCaptureMaterialsState Reform#AfterCapture Campaign Flyer
April 9, 2018

#AfterCapture Campaign Flyer

In the spirit of South Africa 2018's democratic opening, the Public Affairs Research Institute, working in partnership with a broader civil-society,  and drawing from the expertise and experience from elsewhere…
Annual ReportsFeatured2016/17 Annual Report
March 23, 2018

2016/17 Annual Report

The Year in Review 2017 was a dramatic year for PARI, as three major research projects matured into their final phases, and the Institute gained a weighty profile in the…
Academic EngagementConferencesFeaturedNewsState-Society RelationsTalking Democratization in Buenos Aires
March 13, 2018

Talking Democratization in Buenos Aires

International Workshop | Conferencia Internacional RETHINKING DEMOCRATIZATION IN AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA: VIOLENCE, STATE, CITIZENSHIP, AND MARKETIZATION | REPENSADO LA DEMOCRATIZACIÓN EN AFRICA Y AMÉRICA LATINA: VIOLENCIA, ESTADO, CIUDADANÍA Y…
MultimediaNewsDebora Matthews Speaks About Activist Archives
March 13, 2018

Debora Matthews Speaks About Activist Archives

Debora Matthews worked for seven years as Archival Coordinator in the Struggles for Justice Programme at the South African History Archive (SAHA), an independent activist and human rights archive in…
BooksLand GovernanceNewsPublicationsChapter | The Salience of Chiefs in Post Apartheid South Africa
March 13, 2018

Chapter | The Salience of Chiefs in Post Apartheid South Africa

Recently published is Mbongiseni Buthelezi's co-authored chapter on chieftancy in contemporary South Africa, in: Comaroff, J.L. and J. Comaroff. eds., 2018. The Politics of Custom: Chiefship, Capital and the State…
Local GovernmentReading GroupState ReformReading Power and Patronage in an Approach to Local Government in South Africa
March 7, 2018

Reading Power and Patronage in an Approach to Local Government in South Africa

    People interested in joining this reading group should please complete this form.  Or go to the WiSER site Hosts: The reading group is jointly hosted by PARI, CUBES…
State ReformUncategorizedWhat Can Cabinet do? #200Days
March 5, 2018

What Can Cabinet do? #200Days

PARI invites you to join a roundtable conversation on the immediate, achievable actions for Ramaphosa’s new Cabinet to create a more transparent and effective government. Cyril Ramaphosa’s election to ANC…
EventsBook launch: Incorruptible by Evelyn Groenink
March 4, 2018

Book launch: Incorruptible by Evelyn Groenink

Join us for a discussion with author Evelyn Groenink and PARI’s Ivor Chipkin on the questions this book evokes. How is it possible that only now, 30 years after the…
Academic EngagementEventsGovernmentNewsSeminarsState CaptureState ReformSeminar | Joel Hellman on State Capture
February 21, 2018

Seminar | Joel Hellman on State Capture

This Friday 23 February, PARI is delighted to host a seminar  on state capture with Professor Joel S. Hellman from 13:00 to 15:00. Hellman wrote groundbreaking work on state capture…
FeaturedPublic PolicyPublicationsState ReformWorking PapersMachinery of Government Change in South Africa’s Post-democratic Public Administration
February 21, 2018

Machinery of Government Change in South Africa’s Post-democratic Public Administration

South Africa’s public administration machinery underwent extensive organisational remodelling following the country’s 1994 democratic transition. The structure of the country’s bureaucracy under white minority rule was inordinately complex, driven by…
Op EdState ReformPresident Ramaphosa Brings a Sense of Renewal and Optimism
February 19, 2018

President Ramaphosa Brings a Sense of Renewal and Optimism

By Vinothan Naidoo The election of Cyril Ramaphosa as South Africa's fifth democratic president has generated a palpable sense of renewal and optimism. It also presents a real opportunity to…
ConferencesNewsPublic PolicyBuilding Rural Democracy
February 19, 2018

Building Rural Democracy

Alliance for Rural Democracy On 19 February 2018, Mbongiseni Buthelezi attended the Rural Democracy Trust's National Campaigns Planning Meeting, hosted by the Alliance for Rural Democracy. Objectives of the meeting:…
Op EdState ReformUncategorizedSA Constitution: Not Holy Grail, But Beachhead for Change
February 15, 2018

SA Constitution: Not Holy Grail, But Beachhead for Change

By Ivor Chipkin Zuma's 10 years of anti-constitutional governance Now that Jacob Zuma has stepped down as president, the past decade emerges in sharp relief. We have discovered that the…
NewsIvor Chipkin speaks at the Mandela Initiative Workshop
February 14, 2018

Ivor Chipkin speaks at the Mandela Initiative Workshop

 The Mandela Initiative is a multi-sector platform to investigate and develop strategies to overcome poverty and inequality. The Initiative is a university-led national endeavour in partnership with the Nelson Mandela…
Op EdState ReformThe Lame Duck President
February 10, 2018

The Lame Duck President

By Ryan Brunette South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, is a lame duck. On December 18 2017, Cyril Ramaphosa, Zuma’s deputy, was elected president of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), placing him…
Annual ReportsPublications2015/16 Annual Report
February 4, 2018

2015/16 Annual Report

Evolving to Influence a State in Transition PARI is moving confidently towards its eighth year as a prominent research institute, while simultaneously adapting to South Africa’s changing sociopolitical environment. Historically,…
Taxation and State FormationUncategorizedFiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of South Africa
February 1, 2018

Fiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of South Africa

Previously in this series: Fiscal histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of BotswanaThatshisiwe Ndlovu, Public Affairs Research Institute  Working Paper Series: No.2, July 2017The history of taxation in South Africa was…
NewsOISUncategorizedOIS: PARI becomes a teaching department at Wits
January 30, 2018

OIS: PARI becomes a teaching department at Wits

In partnership with Wits University's Department of Social Sciences, PARI launches its groundbreaking Organisational and Institutional Studies degree programme on Monday, 5 Feb. Venue: Wits Club, West Campus Time: 09h00–13h00
NewsWhen it comes to connections, PARI does it up brown
January 25, 2018

When it comes to connections, PARI does it up brown

To 'do something up brown' means to do it skilfully and effectively. PARI has certainly been both in making international connections, not least with the recent MoU with ivy league…
FeaturedJournal ArticlesLocal GovernmentNewsNorthern FrontiersJournal of Public Administration reviews Mogalakwena Report
January 24, 2018

Journal of Public Administration reviews Mogalakwena Report

  "... from a perspective that most scholars in the discipline are yet to consider"   In a glowing recognition of PARI’s work, the report Mogalakwena Local Municipality of South…
FeaturedPublicationsThesesNdebele Identity in Democratic South Africa
January 24, 2018

Ndebele Identity in Democratic South Africa

PARI doctoral fellow, Sifiso Ndlovu, produced her thesis in December 2017. Her  project broadly looked at the production of Ndebele identity in democratic South Africa, with particular reference to its…
NewsDoors open for PARI master’s fellow
January 24, 2018

Doors open for PARI master’s fellow

In the last stretch of her Master's degree, PARI fellow Jolandi Swanepoel has accepted a position at the Small Enterprise Foundation — a microfinance institution supporting rural women. It is…
FeaturedWhat’s up at PARI in 2018?
January 11, 2018

What’s up at PARI in 2018?

Don't miss PARI's new reports forthcoming in 2018 Three Cities is a study of the evolution of governance in three metropolitan municipalities – Nelson Mandela Bay, eThekwini and Buffalo City…
Op EdState ReformHow Not to Talk About Corruption in SA
December 14, 2017

How Not to Talk About Corruption in SA

By Ryan Brunette On Tuesday, 5 December, global retail group, Steinhoff International, headquartered in South Africa, announced the resignation of its CEO, Markus Jooste. A white South African, Jooste, resigned…
PublicationsThesesWho gets jobs and why: Self-selection in migration
October 30, 2017

Who gets jobs and why: Self-selection in migration

Nwabisa Nontenja passed her Master's in Economics with flying colours, with a fascinating thesis topic: do aspirant migrants self-select and in this selection, are certain character types more amenable for…
Betrayal of the PromiseNewsBetrayal report touches down in America
October 25, 2017

Betrayal report touches down in America

This October, Ivor Chipkin does a lecture tour in the US and Canada, and will present the Betrayal report along with other salient work on state capture in Washington, Providence,…
BooksFeaturedLocal GovernmentNewsState CaptureHow to Steal a City: The Battle for Nelson Mandela Bay
October 25, 2017

How to Steal a City: The Battle for Nelson Mandela Bay

PARI researcher and doctoral fellow, Crispian Olver, launched his controversial book, “How to Steal a City: The battle for Nelson Mandela Bay” on October 23. Olver was a government “fixer”…
EventsFeaturedLocal GovernmentNorthern FrontiersOrganisational DynamicsReport launch: The Mogalakwena Local Municipality
September 26, 2017

Report launch: The Mogalakwena Local Municipality

https://pari.org.za/event/report-launch-mogalakwena-local-municipality/ This report focuses on the internal institutional dynamics of the troubled Mogalakwena Local Municipality, located in the Waterberg District of Limpopo Province. The report traces in detail how local…
GalleryLocal GovernmentMediaMultimediaNewsPhoto Essay: Mogalakwena Municipality
September 26, 2017

Photo Essay: Mogalakwena Municipality

A photo essay on the Mogalakwena Municipality by Leon Sadiki. Part of the PARI project on Mogalakwena Local Municipality.
FeaturedLocal GovernmentPublicationsReportsThe Mogalakwena Local Municipality in South Africa
September 26, 2017

The Mogalakwena Local Municipality in South Africa

This report focuses on the internal institutional dynamics of the troubled Mogalakwena Local Municipality, located in the Waterberg District of Limpopo Province. The report traces in detail how local party-state…
EventsNewsNotes from #FreetheArchive
September 26, 2017

Notes from #FreetheArchive

PARI was well-represented at the Archives and Democracy: Colloquium of Civil Society on 24 August, 2017. The day-long programme featured five panels discussing the apartheid era archives, the importance of…
EventsFeaturedNewsPublic PolicyState ReformPublic Service Reform Roundtable: Testimonies
September 23, 2017

Public Service Reform Roundtable: Testimonies

PARI will shortly launch a major, new initiative on public sector reform. This comes in the context of the institute’s ongoing research into how government works and in the wake…
FeaturedFiscal HistoriesPublicationsState-Society RelationsTaxation and State FormationWorking PapersFiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of South Africa
September 19, 2017

Fiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of South Africa

Previously in this series: Fiscal histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of BotswanaThatshisiwe Ndlovu, Public Affairs Research Institute  Working Paper Series: No.2, July 2017The history of taxation in South Africa was…
NewsPublic PolicyState ReformIn the Media: Party political funding
September 19, 2017

In the Media: Party political funding

Since PARI’s 15 August submission to the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on political party funding, the committee has already met to review a draft bill to regulate the way parties…
FeaturedMaterialsPeople's Tribunal on Economic CrimeState Capacity Research ProjectState CaptureState ReformThe People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime
September 18, 2017

The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime

JTNDaWZyYW1lJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjI1NjAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIzMTUlMjIlMjBzcmMlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnd3dy55b3V0dWJlLmNvbSUyRmVtYmVkJTJGVUhYdWlHdzQ5WjAlMjIlMjBmcmFtZWJvcmRlciUzRCUyMjAlMjIlMjBhbGxvdyUzRCUyMmF1dG9wbGF5JTNCJTIwZW5jcnlwdGVkLW1lZGlhJTIyJTIwYWxsb3dmdWxsc2NyZWVuJTNFJTNDJTJGaWZyYW1lJTNFGiven the failure of state institutions to fully investigate allegations of corruption and state capture, members of civil society have today announced the creation of a People’s Tribunal on Economic…
ConferencesLand GovernanceNewsRethinking Urban Global Justice
September 18, 2017

Rethinking Urban Global Justice

From September 11-13, Federica Duca attended the RC21 Conference in Leeds, titled Rethinking Urban Global Justice: An international academic conference for critical urban studies. Duca convened a roundtable “Elites and…
NewsInternship at PARI
September 18, 2017

Internship at PARI

Waseem Holland has joined PARI as an intern for four months, and is currently engaged in a research project around state capture. From 2011, Waseem Holland worked with the Electoral…
Public PolicyPublicationsSeminarsState ReformWorking PapersTracking the expansionary state: machinery of government change in South Africa
September 14, 2017

Tracking the expansionary state: machinery of government change in South Africa

The aim of this paper is to explain the evolving size and shape of South Africa’s government machinery. The country’s state apparatus underwent extensive organisational restructuring following its democratic transition…
EventsFeaturedNewsPublic PolicySeminarsTracking the expansionary state: the evolving government machinery
September 4, 2017

Tracking the expansionary state: the evolving government machinery

PARI hosts a public lecture by UCT Politics senior lecturer, Vinothan Naidoo. Download the working paper here. The notion of ‘state machinery’ is usually employed to describe and critique the…
EventsLand GovernanceNewsUrban Anxieties in the Global South
September 4, 2017

Urban Anxieties in the Global South

On 16 August, senior researcher Federica Duca gave a talk at Urban Anxieties in the Global South, a project by Wits Media Studies and WiSER. Federica’s talk titled, “Macabre and…
Academic EngagementMultimediaNewspodcastsSeminarsPodcast: Democracy and the Poor
August 25, 2017

Podcast: Democracy and the Poor

Audio of a public lecture by Andreas Kalyvas.
EventsLand GovernanceNewsSeminarsGCRO Brown Bag: Regimes of Urban Public Goods
August 21, 2017

GCRO Brown Bag: Regimes of Urban Public Goods

PARI and GCRO invite you to a brown bag presentation by Benjamin Bradlow Regimes of Urban Public Goods Distribution: Governing Johannesburg, 1990-2016 Date: 30 August 2017 Time: 13.00-14.00 Venue: GCRO,…
EventsFeaturedNewsThe Politics of the Archive
August 21, 2017

The Politics of the Archive

Is it time to free the Apartheid era archives? Promoting open and transparent public record keeping for a democratic South Africa 9 am to 5pm 24 August, 2017 University of…
Betrayal of the PromiseEventsFeaturedNewsState CaptureState ReformState, capture and politics of ‘elite populism’
August 16, 2017

State, capture and politics of ‘elite populism’

In South Africa today, analysis of current politics frequently invokes the term ‘corruption’ and the expression ‘state capture’. Yet both terms are inadequate conceptually, both on their own terms and…
GovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState CaptureState ReformPlundering the state in the name of change will only perpetuate inequality
August 9, 2017

Plundering the state in the name of change will only perpetuate inequality

There is a way for ordinary South Africans to join the fight against corruption, writes PARI’s Mbongiseni Buthelezi.
FeaturedNewsPublic PolicySA PoliticsState ReformWorking PapersParty political funding and the South African state
August 9, 2017

Party political funding and the South African state

PARI has prepared a submission to the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee on the funding of political parties. Party Political Funding and the South African State, compiled by Crispian Olver, Mbongiseni…
Betrayal of the PromiseFeaturedNewsPublic PolicyState ReformBetrayal Presented To Parliament
August 1, 2017

Betrayal Presented To Parliament

Last week, Ivor Chipkin, as a member of the State Capacity Research Group, and along with the South African Council of Churches, made a submission to Parliament’s portfolio committee of…
EventsNewsSeminarsState CaptureState ReformSeminar: State, Capture, Revolution
August 1, 2017

Seminar: State, Capture, Revolution

Wed 02 August 2017 at 15h30 C-Ring 315, UJ Kingsway campus Presented by Prof Ivor Chipkin
FeaturedSA PoliticsSeminarsState CaptureState ReformSeminar: State, Capture, Revolution
July 31, 2017

Seminar: State, Capture, Revolution

UJ Sociology, Anthropology & Development Studies W E D N E S D A Y S E M I N A R   Wed 02 August 2017 at 15h30 C-Ring…
NewsState CaptureState ReformConference for the Future of SA #OperationRecapture
July 20, 2017

Conference for the Future of SA #OperationRecapture

The largest gathering of civil society organisations since 1994 convened at Rhema Church’s sizeable premises in Randburg this Mandela Day, to call for action to ‘recapture’ SA from the ‘power…
NewsAfrican Annual Youth Conference on social justice and democracy
July 20, 2017

African Annual Youth Conference on social justice and democracy

African People Disconnect - AAYC 2017 The AAYC was a 3-day conference from 28 June to 1 July, featuring senior PARI researcher Alice Soares Guimarães as a facilitator. Organised by…
BooksNewsA Journey through Wits #FeesMustFall 2015/16
July 20, 2017

A Journey through Wits #FeesMustFall 2015/16

A collected volume of chapters called Writing and Rioting: Diaries of the Wits Fallists is to be launched this July, containing a detailed account and analysis of the #FeesMustFall movement by…
Academic EngagementFeaturedNewsSeminarsDemocracy and the Poor
July 16, 2017

Democracy and the Poor

A public lecture by PARI visiting professor, Andreas Kalyvas 3 August, 5-7pm Wiser Seminar Room, 6th floor, Richard Ward Building, Wits University The lecture examines the hypothesis of democracy as…
Betrayal of the PromiseNewsState ReformIvor Chipkin speaks at the SACP 14th National Congress
July 16, 2017

Ivor Chipkin speaks at the SACP 14th National Congress

The broad theme of the South African Communist Party’s (SACP’s) 14th National Congress this year was to discuss the party’s relationship with the ruling African National Congress, and whether the…
NewsPARI collaborates with National School of Government
July 16, 2017

PARI collaborates with National School of Government

PARI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National School of Government (NSG) to work together to develop a programme focusing on African governance and building capable developmental states.…
NewsThesesNo justice for the poor
July 10, 2017

No justice for the poor

PARI Nedbank fellow, Brandon Bodenstein, was awarded a master’s with distinction this June. His MA thesis is a revelatory treatment of what is meant by meaningful access to justice in…
NewsTaxation and State FormationAlice Soares Guimarães joins the ATRN Scientific Committee
July 10, 2017

Alice Soares Guimarães joins the ATRN Scientific Committee

Alice Soares Guimarães has become a member of the Scientific Committee of the African Tax Research Network (ATRN), placing her among a prestigious international group of policymakers, researchers and administrators, who…
GovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformSouth Africans can help draft the new plan to combat graft
June 14, 2017

South Africans can help draft the new plan to combat graft

There is a way for ordinary South Africans to join the fight against corruption, writes PARI’s Mbongiseni Buthelezi.
GovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformElite struggle over Zuma is making weapons against the poor
June 14, 2017

Elite struggle over Zuma is making weapons against the poor

Anti-corruption politics in South Africa are now decisively focused on Jacob Zuma’s removal. It is not our intention to legitimise him. Governing requires a measure of disinterest in oneself and…
EventsNewsSeminarsSeminar: Transgressive Histories and Dis-eases of Secrecy
June 8, 2017

Seminar: Transgressive Histories and Dis-eases of Secrecy

Join Chandre Gould and Prof Brian Rappert at the seminar "Transgressive Histories: Possibilities for Absence, Duplication, and Ignorance in Inquiry" DATE Wednesday, 21 June TIME 15:30 to 17:00VENUE Wits Graduate…
FeaturedGovernmentReportsSA PoliticsState ReformThe Contract State
June 8, 2017

The Contract State

One of the most dramatic features of the post-apartheid state has been the contracting-out of government services to third-party providers. South Africa has become a ‘contract state’. What was called…
NewsState ReformMbongiseni Buthelezi joins National Anti-Corruption Committee
June 8, 2017

Mbongiseni Buthelezi joins National Anti-Corruption Committee

On the back of launch on 14 May of the new National Anti-Corruption Strategy discussion document, the Public Service Commission seeks to breathe life into the National Anti-Corruption Forum (NACF),…
NewsPARI is recognized as a UCT entity
June 8, 2017

PARI is recognized as a UCT entity

A new, formalised collaboration with the University of Cape Town (UCT) sees PARI making a major contribution in the field of institutional studies. A new, formalised collaboration with the University…
NewsPARI Fellow goes to Paris and Basel
June 8, 2017

PARI Fellow goes to Paris and Basel

Sarah Meny-Gilbert, a PARI PhD fellow and research associate, will present papers this year at Sciences Po in Paris and the European Conference on African Studies in Basel. In June,…
Betrayal of the PromiseGovernmentMediaPress releaseSA PoliticsState ReformPress release: Betrayal of the Promise
May 25, 2017

Press release: Betrayal of the Promise

Betrayal of the Promise: How South Africa is Being Stolen A Major, New Study on the Country’s Emerging Shadow State Press release Calls for President Jacob Zuma to resign have…
Betrayal of the PromiseFeaturedGovernmentReportsSA PoliticsState ReformBetrayal of the Promise: How South Africa Is Being Stolen
May 25, 2017

Betrayal of the Promise: How South Africa Is Being Stolen

A major, new study on the country's emerging Shadow State.
Betrayal of the PromiseEventsGovernmentNewsSA PoliticsState ReformReport Launch: Betrayal of the Promise
May 24, 2017

Report Launch: Betrayal of the Promise

The state capacity research group invites you to the launch of a major new study on the country's emerging shadow state.
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformOp-ed | Admin at its best
May 22, 2017

Op-ed | Admin at its best

Reforming the way the civil service works can effect positive change for SA. It is tempting to think that
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformOp-ed | How will SA tackle corruption?
April 5, 2017

Op-ed | How will SA tackle corruption?

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
GovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformSars Special Report
April 3, 2017

Sars Special Report

An Institution In Crisis As South Africa Faces Junk Status Don't be fooled by the talk of exceeding targets on revenue collections. The opposite is true and it's not good…
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformOp-ed | State of the Nation: The New Right in SA
February 10, 2017

Op-ed | State of the Nation: The New Right in SA

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
FeaturedGovernmentJust TransitionMediaOp EdOp-ed | Struggle to keep the lights on
January 22, 2017

Op-ed | Struggle to keep the lights on

It is not only the maladministration of municipalities – there are other contributing systemic factors connected to their failure to pay for the power they use...
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsCrisis of 9/12 was turning point for SA
December 9, 2016

Crisis of 9/12 was turning point for SA

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp Ed4 days in December
December 8, 2016

4 days in December

It’s been a year since Nhlanhla Nene was axed as finance minister. The seismic four days that followed laid bare a new trend in corruption: state capture.
Local GovernmentPublicationsState CaptureWorking PapersState capture at a local level – a case study of Nelson Mandela Bay
November 15, 2016

State capture at a local level – a case study of Nelson Mandela Bay

"This paper is an attempt to reflect on the result of 18 months of work in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, during which I was part of an intervention…
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA Politics#FeesMustFall: Separating Treasury’s truth from ‘ultra-left’ fiction
October 10, 2016

#FeesMustFall: Separating Treasury’s truth from ‘ultra-left’ fiction

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
FeaturedGovernmentReportsSA PoliticsState-Society RelationsConfrontational, Complementary, Co-Operative Or Co-Opted? Social Justice Organisations Working With The State
August 26, 2016

Confrontational, Complementary, Co-Operative Or Co-Opted? Social Justice Organisations Working With The State

This report was commissioned by the RAITH foundation to review various engagements between social justice organisations (SJOs) and state bodies with a view to determining under what conditions they have…
PublicationsTaxation and State FormationWorking PapersFiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of Botswana
August 18, 2016

Fiscal Histories of Sub-Saharan Africa: the Case of Botswana

The first series looks at the fiscal history of Botswana from a long-term perspective, identifying its continuities and changes. Tracing the history of taxation and the formation of the tax…
PublicationsState CaptureWorking PapersThe State, Capture and Revolution in Contemporary South Africa
August 7, 2016

The State, Capture and Revolution in Contemporary South Africa

" We will see that the struggle against corruption in South Africa is really a struggle about the form of the state. In this sense the term shows a field…
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformIn Jacob Zuma, South Africa has found its Gorbachev
July 31, 2016

In Jacob Zuma, South Africa has found its Gorbachev

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
GovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsOnce-invincible ANC takes on regional, ethnic colours
May 15, 2016

Once-invincible ANC takes on regional, ethnic colours

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsProgressive Politics: In search of a silver lining in the current crisis
March 30, 2016

Progressive Politics: In search of a silver lining in the current crisis

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
UncategorizedThe Decline of African Nationalism and the State of South Africa
March 25, 2016

The Decline of African Nationalism and the State of South Africa

Ivor Chipkin (2016) The Decline of African Nationalism and the State of South Africa, Journal of Southern African Studies, 42:2, 215-227 This article explores the electoral performance of the African…
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformHow treasury got its teeth
February 23, 2016

How treasury got its teeth

Since the dawn of democracy in SA, Treasury has flexed its muscles. But it has been a source of division for the ANC and its allies.
Local GovernmentPublicationsReports2013/14 Red Zone Municipalities: Municipal Audit Outcomes Unpacked
January 25, 2016

2013/14 Red Zone Municipalities: Municipal Audit Outcomes Unpacked

A report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (University of the Witwatersrand) for the South African Local Government Association
PublicationsState ReformWorking PapersState-Building in South Africa after Apartheid: The History of the National Treasury
January 25, 2016

State-Building in South Africa after Apartheid: The History of the National Treasury

The National Treasury is a pivotal institution in South Africa’s governance landscape. Portrayals of the Treasury are often polarized: where some see an exceptional institution that stands “head and shoulders” above…
EconomyFeaturedMediaOp EdSA PoliticsBusiness and the state are twin enemies of SA’s poor
January 4, 2016

Business and the state are twin enemies of SA’s poor

Real radical economic transformation requires more than a binary battle between the private and public sectors — it needs an overhaul of morality President Jacob Zuma has promised that the…
FeaturedGovernmentLocal GovernmentSA PoliticsIs this how the ANC lost Nelson Mandela Bay?
January 1, 2016

Is this how the ANC lost Nelson Mandela Bay?

An insider has blown the lid on wide-scale corruption syndicates in Nelson Mandela Bay metro. In a recent paper, Crispian Olver who was part of an intervention team dispatched to…
EducationPublicationsReportsReflections on a GTAC project to improve supply chain management in a provincial education department
December 25, 2015

Reflections on a GTAC project to improve supply chain management in a provincial education department

A case study report by the Public Affairs Research Institute (University of the Witwatersrand) for the Government Technical Advisory Centre, National Treasury
GovernmentSA PoliticsState of the Nation: The New Right in South Africa
May 22, 2015

State of the Nation: The New Right in South Africa

Trump is very clear: America 1st. Brexit is very clear: UK 1st. S Africa MUST be clear about SA 1st. NOT Rating Agencies 1st.”
FeaturedPublicationsReportsState ReformFinancing the Future: Budget Reform in SA 1994-2004
March 10, 2015

Financing the Future: Budget Reform in SA 1994-2004

By Joel Pearson, Sarita Pillay and Tracy Ledger, for the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice The euphoria surrounding the historic elections of 1994 was…
Just TransitionPublicationsReportsState ReformHollowing out the local state: Managerialism and Skills in the Water Sector
January 25, 2015

Hollowing out the local state: Managerialism and Skills in the Water Sector

In large parts of South Africa, the management of municipal water and sanitation is in crisis. There are regular media reports of interrupted water supply and dysfunctional sanitation systems. These…
FeaturedGovernmentMediaOp EdSA PoliticsState ReformDecentralised procurement fails the state
August 1, 2014

Decentralised procurement fails the state

Power groups' preferred political projects will ultimately decide on whose terms corruption is fought, writes Ryan Brunette
FeaturedPublicationsReportsTurning the Tide: The Johannesburg Development Agency and its Role in Revitalising the Inner City
March 10, 2013

Turning the Tide: The Johannesburg Development Agency and its Role in Revitalising the Inner City

By Tracy Ledger (van der Heijden), for the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Development Policy and Practice Johannesburg started life as a mining village in 1886. Half a…
EssaysPublicationsState ReformThe Politics of Corruption: Two Competing Definitions
October 25, 2012

The Politics of Corruption: Two Competing Definitions

"In this paper I defend three hypotheses about corruption in South Africa, namely that: the measure of corruption in South Africa is allied to a concept of the state –…
Land GovernancePublicationsReportsLiving Together, Separately in the New South Africa: The Case of Integrated Housing in Mohale City and Lehae Project
August 15, 2012

Living Together, Separately in the New South Africa: The Case of Integrated Housing in Mohale City and Lehae Project

Over the past few years, there had been demands from applicants for the Department of Human Settlements (Housing) to make RDP houses available to all race groups. This had seen…
PublicationsReportsState ReformDiagnostic Research Report on Corruption, Non-Compliance and Weak Organisations
August 15, 2012

Diagnostic Research Report on Corruption, Non-Compliance and Weak Organisations

The Technical Assistance Unit (TAU) commissioned PARI to perform diagnostic research on the phenomenon of state corruption and the nature of anti-corruption efforts in South Africa.
EducationEssaysPublicationsMarking time: inefficiencies in the schooling system and possible responses
July 14, 2012

Marking time: inefficiencies in the schooling system and possible responses

It is not new to note that South Africa has an inefficient schooling system. The adjective ‘inefficient’ has most commonly be used to refer to the cost of education provision…
EssaysLand GovernancePublicationsMiddle classing in Roodepoort: capitalism and social change in South Africa
June 15, 2012

Middle classing in Roodepoort: capitalism and social change in South Africa

This essay explores social change in South Africa since the end of apartheid by considering the kinds of communities that are emerging in the new townhouse developments on the western…
EssaysPublicationsState ReformTransforming racial bureaucracy: New Public Management and public sector reform in contemporary South Africa
February 15, 2012

Transforming racial bureaucracy: New Public Management and public sector reform in contemporary South Africa

This article provides an illustration of the complex and fraught work of public sector reform in practice. After briefly retracing some of the achievements of OPM and the range of…
EssaysPublicationsState ReformDesign flaws in CIPRO: ambivalence to the New Public Management in South Africa
May 25, 2011

Design flaws in CIPRO: ambivalence to the New Public Management in South Africa

Based on in-depth interviews with senior DTI and CIPRO staff, PARI considered the CIPRO case in the light of a broader study of the introduction of the New Public Management…
EssaysPublicationsState ReformBeyond the popular discourse: capacity constraints in the public sector
May 15, 2011

Beyond the popular discourse: capacity constraints in the public sector

There is an aspect of politics of transformation that has not attracted the attention it deserves—the reorgansition of the public service on the basis of the New Public Management (NPM)…
EssaysPublicationsState ReformWhy the Past Matters: Histories of the Public Service in South Africa
May 15, 2011

Why the Past Matters: Histories of the Public Service in South Africa

This paper argues that the state of the public sector in South Africa is heavily influenced by particular histories of state administration related to the legacy of apartheid and the…