PARI’s State Reform programme aims to reduce the influence of corruption and patronage on the public administration so that it better serves its democratic mandate. The programme provides evidence-based recommendations for reforms in key regulatory and administrative institutions with the aim of strengthening them. The programme currently focuses on:
The programme advocates for reforms through research and its dissemination, submissions on legislation, participation in government task teams and working with civil society partners to build momentum for change. We also contribute to scholarly and wider public discussion on topics such as state capture, public procurement and development, anti-corruption and politics, state capacity, and more.
Lead: Dr Sarah Meny-Gibert, sarahmg@pari.org.za
Programme Team: Devi Pillay, Ryan Brunette, Professor Jonathan Klaaren (Wits), Dr Thokozani Chilenga-Butao (Wits), and Waseem Holland.
Where do we stand with the Presidential commitments on state capture?
Report | National Anti-Corruption Advisory Council
Tracker | State Capture Commission Update 2025
Watch | Sarah Meny-Gibert: What kind of mayor does Joburg need?
Public comment | Public Service Commission Bill 2023: Submission to the NCOP
Submission | White Paper on Local Government Review Process
Public comment | Public Service Amendment Bill 2023: Submission to the NCOP
Public comment | Public Service Commission Bill 2023: Submission to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature
Public comment | Public Service Amendment Bill 2023: Submission to the NCOP
Gallery | State, Democracy and the Promise of Development Symposium
Gallery | State Capture and Corruption in Africa Workshop
Policy brief | Limiting Political Influence on Appointments in the South African Public Administration
Policy brief | Oversight in Parliament: The role of comittees
Launch | Former DGs’ website goes live
Research Webinar | Institutional Professionalism in Local Government
Public Comment | Draft Public Administration Management Regulations for the Central Register
Policy brief | Slowing down a moving train: the DMRE’s response to South Africa’s just energy transition
Working Paper | Checking Political Discretion in Recruitment to South Africa’s Public Administration
Gallery | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?
Addressing systemic corruption: a state-building project
Public Comment | Public Service Commisson Bill
Zondo Commission | Where do we stand in 2024?
Workshop | What Now Since the State Capture Commission?
CSWG | A Collective Civil Society Response to the Zondo Commission and the State Capture Report
Workshop | Engagement with South Africa’s 7th Parliament
Report | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition
Report Launch | Transitions: The role of the DMRE in SA’s just energy transition
Public Comment | Local Government Municipal Structures Amendment Bill (‘Coalitions Bill’) 2024
Watch | AfDG: An impartial, professional public administration will take us forward
Report | AfDG State Capacity Dialogue Series
Submissions on the new Public Procurement Bill
Statement | The Public Service Amendment Bill does not go far enough
Public submission to Parliament on the Public Service Commission Bill 2023
Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023
Conference Report | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations
Policy brief | ‘Stabilising’ the political-administrative interface in local government: where to from here?
Conference | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations | 25 & 26 Oct
Policy brief | An Assessment of Local Government Revenues during Limited Economic Growth and a Constrained National Fiscus
Gallery | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference
Session by session recordings | Implementing State Capture Commission Recommendations Conference
Watch | Pillay: It’s difficult to prosecute state capture cases
Discussion Document | Implementing the Zondo Commission Recommendations: Taking stock of progress and charting a way forward
Livestream | State Capture Commission Conference
Submission on the Draft National State Enterprises Bill
Report | State of Parliament and its MPs: Identifying challenges to oversight and proposing solutions
Statement on the Public Procurement Bill 2023
Op Ed | Procurement Bill Carries Serious Risks For SA, But It Can Be Fixed
Book launch at UP | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened
Public submission to Parliament on the Public Administration and Management Bill 2023
Public submission to Parliament on the Public Service Amendment Bill 2023
Submission | Public Service Commission Bill
Book launch | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why it Happened
Joint Strategic Resource | A Strategic Public Procurement Paradigm for South Africa
Statement | First Anniversary of the Release of the State Capture Commission Report
New Book | State Capture in South Africa: How and Why It Happened
Watch | SA Police Not Fit For Purpose
Op Ed | Consumers bear the brunt as the state squanders vital water resources
Op Ed | SA faces multiple water crises across all provinces and sectors
Watch | Day 2 on the beat for Gauteng’s new crime prevention wardens
Op Ed | The police are not only failing to keep us safe, they are failing in almost every aspect of their duty
Submission on the draft Public Service Regulations
Op Ed | Failure to Boot Cele Betrays Public Safety
Press Statement | Civil Society Demands Clarity and Transparency in Emergency Procurement
Webinar | Who pays the price of state capture?
Op Ed | Social Justice Assembly gathers to address multiple crises facing SA
Op Ed | The dangers and limits of the DA’s high court attempt to abolish cadre deployment
Op Ed | Transnet turns a new leaf, but there are many cracks in the system
Op Ed | Shortcomings of SA’s commuter railways worsen by the day
South Africa Needs Civil Servants Who Are Capture-Proof
CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report
Working Paper | Public Procurement and Corruption in South Africa
Op Ed | The lack of political consensus around energy endures with ANC tied up to coal
Conference Report | State Capture Commission Conference
State Capture Commission Conference Page
Gallery | State Capture Commission Conference
WATCH | Devi Pillay weighs in on the Zondo Commission report
Summary | The State Capture Commission
Op Ed | Zondo Commission’s Missed Opportunity on Role of Law Enforcement Agencies in State Capture
Press Statements | In Support of SAITF and SERI SA against Hate Speech and Threats
Op Ed | Public administration reform is critical after a pliant civil service greased the wheels of State Capture
Declaration of the Conference for Democratic Renewal and Change
Working Paper | Remodelling Cabinet Departments in South Africa
Watch | Mbongiseni Buthelezi on the fifth state capture report
Memorandum: State of the Nation Address – The People’s Voice
Reforming the Public Administration in South Africa: A Path to Professionalisation
Listen | State Capture Report: Accountability and Rebuilding the Procurement System
CSWG | Response to the Zondo Commission’s Report
Press statement: Collective Call to Stop Attacks on Migrants
PARI and WITS research featured in state capture report
COMPANIES AMENDMENT BILL, 2021 Bill [B-2021] Submission of Public Comments
Launch of the Association of Former Directors-General
A High-Level Task Team to Professionalise the Public Service
Proposed amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA) and Public Administration Management Act (PAMA)
Policy Brief | Reforming Appointment and Removal in the Public Service and Municipalities
Petition | Raising Our Voice Against State Capture and Corruption
Listen | Building State Capacity for Inclusive Development
Watch | PARI comments on reforming the state
Call to Action | Defend Our Democracy
Politicising the Zondo Commission needs to stop, says Civil Society
Listen | New policy to shake up SA’s public service
Professionalising the Public Service: Submission on the draft implementation framework
Listen | Public procurement and the SIU investigation into PPE scandal
Webinar | Protect Our Whistleblowers
Policy Brief | Encouraged Whistleblowing in Public Procurement
WATCH | Professionalising Local Government Webinar
Listen | More Taxpayer Money for Political Parties
Toolkit for Public Servants
Watch | Professionalism in the public sector
Watch | Could the Public Procurement Bill Minimise Unbridled Corruption?
Now or Never: It’s time to Create Real, Lasting Procurement Reform
Submission to the Draft Public Procurement Bill
Article | The Public Procurement Bill Needs Better Enforcement
Webinar | Unpacking Infrastructure Delivery In Relation to the Draft Procurement Bill
Dialogue Report | Envisioning A New Path for SOEs
Position Papers | Public Procurement
Watch | Civil society resorts to courts to enforce good governance
Open letter to the President: Make sure emergency funds are not wasted or stolen
Webinar | Launch event for Recruitment Position Paper on State Reform
Position Paper | Recruitment in the Public Service
Position Papers | Criminal Justice System
State Capture and State Reform Conference Report
Postponed | Public Procurement Position Paper Launch
WATCH | State Capture and Civil Society – a PARI presentation
Listen | Practical Solutions and Actions Can Rescue SOEs
Press Release | It’s Time for Practical SOE Solutions
Fully Booked | A New Path for SOEs
Civil Society Working Group launches a Joint Submission to the Zondo Commission
Listen | Chilenga-Butao comments on PSC investigation into dodgy appointments
Roundtable discussion | Appointments to the leadership of the NPA
For an ethical public sector, remove politics from its appointment
Panel Discussion | Fixing the State: From Diagnosis to Treatment
Position Papers on Proposals for State Reform
Conference Highlights | Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State
The People’s Hearing on State Capture
Building An Alliance for State Reform #FixTheState
Civil Society – Defeating State Capture and Rebuilding the State
Perspectives on State Capture
Dr Florencia Belvedere on Criminal Justice Reform
PSA Gives Too Much Power To Politicians, says Ryan Brunette
Long road ahead for new SOE law
The Usual Suspects in State Capture – Politicsweb
Listen | Structural reforms are required to reclaim the state #BetterState
Media Statement | Proposals for state reform #BetterState
#AfterCapture | Kenya’s Inability to Fight State Capture
PARI joins the call on all parties to ensure that the corrupt are not appointed
Article | Reform in the Contract State: Embedded directions in public procurement regulation in South Africa
Policy Brief for Improved Prioritisation and M&E
Media Statement | Civil Society Working Group on State Capture
Listen | How do we depoliticise our civil service and make it fitter for purpose?
State Capture and its Aftermath conference report
LitRev | The Contract State
Watch | Justice Zak Yacoob’s Keynote Address
Report | The Challenge of Prioritisation and Alignment in Public Sector Planning and Implementation
Gallery | State Capture and its Aftermath
Listen | State Capture and its Aftermath from Africa
Highlights and programme | State Capture and its Aftermath
Map to the venue
Listen | Does SA have the mechanisms for political accountability?
State Capture and its Aftermath | A cocktail evening
Get the conference app
Listen | Zuma says there is no state capture
‘I am no longer applying straight’ – Human Resource Practices in State Institutions: Perspectives of public servants
How One Word Can Change The Game
Transnet Inquiry Reference Book
Read | Watch | Listen | Shadow State: The Politics of State Capture
Listen | Creating Sustainable SOEs
The Future of Energy and State-owned Companies in SA
Minister Ayanda Dlodlo sees a new cadre of public servants
#AfterCapture: Public Service Reform Roundtable Series
Listen | Civil Society Engages on Defending Constitutional Democracy
Save the Date | State Capture and its Aftermath
Listen | State Capture Revealed Vulnerabilities in Government’s Workings
Listen | We need a conversation about professionalising the public service
Through the Lens of Life Esidimeni: the collapse of a health department
AfterCapture Programme Press Release
Chapter | The End of Tyranny: How Civil Society in SA Fought Back
Time for Meritocratic Appointments, says Sizani (PSC)
#AfterCapture Campaign Flyer
What Can Cabinet do? #200Days
Seminar | Joel Hellman on State Capture
Machinery of Government Change in South Africa’s Post-democratic Public Administration
Public Service Reform Roundtable: Testimonies
The People’s Tribunal on Economic Crime
Tracking the expansionary state: machinery of government change in South Africa
Betrayal Presented To Parliament
Seminar: State, Capture, Revolution
Seminar: State, Capture, Revolution
Conference for the Future of SA #OperationRecapture
South Africans can help draft the new plan to combat graft
The Contract State
Mbongiseni Buthelezi joins National Anti-Corruption Committee
Press release: Betrayal of the Promise
Betrayal of the Promise: How South Africa Is Being Stolen
Report Launch: Betrayal of the Promise
Op-ed | Admin at its best
Op-ed | State of the Nation: The New Right in SA
In Jacob Zuma, South Africa has found its Gorbachev
State-Building in South Africa after Apartheid: The History of the National Treasury
Financing the Future: Budget Reform in SA 1994-2004
Hollowing out the local state: Managerialism and Skills in the Water Sector
The Politics of Corruption: Two Competing Definitions
Diagnostic Research Report on Corruption, Non-Compliance and Weak Organisations
Transforming racial bureaucracy: New Public Management and public sector reform in contemporary South Africa
Design flaws in CIPRO: ambivalence to the New Public Management in South Africa
Beyond the popular discourse: capacity constraints in the public sector
Why the Past Matters: Histories of the Public Service in South Africa
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