We generate new and original research to better understand the drivers of institutional performance in the public sector and improve policy implementation.
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Joined January 2015
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Op Ed | Minister’s Promises About Energy Affordability Ring Hollow
In this Sunday Times Op Ed, Tracy Ledger writes about how South Africa's excess power is being sold instead of being used to help poor households. 'Socioeconomic development requires that low-income households consume more electricity — this is the pathway to reducing poverty and inequality. Affordability is the biggest obstacle to achieving this.'
🔗 Rea the full Op Ed here: pari.org.za/op-ed-ministers-…
With a week to go before the local government elections, PARI colleagues reflect on the mood around the country and the choices facing voters. They discuss turnout, party campaigns and promises, coalition government, youth participation and the issues shaping the election debate.
Listen to the episode here: pari.org.za/podcast-just-acc…
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
@Waseem_Wala
Daniel Sher
@murial79459
Khanyisile Ngqalela
Zain Mayet
Akhona Mazibuko
Produced By:
Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
With a week to go before the local government elections, PARI colleagues reflect on the mood around the country and the choices facing voters. They discuss turnout, party campaigns and promises, coalition government, youth participation and the issues shaping the election debate.
Listen to the episode here: pari.org.za/podcast-just-acc…
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
@Waseem_Wala
Daniel Sher
@murial79459
Khanyisile Ngqalela
Zain Mayet
Akhona Mazibuko
Produced By:
Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
PARI's Executive Director, Dr Sithembile Mbete, spoke to civic society about the important role community members play in local elections, at the Joburg Crisis Alliance's 10th summit.
"She explained that of the 270 seats in the Johannesburg council, 135 are ward councillors elected directly by citizens, whether running independently or within a political party. She added that a ward councillor is the only person in the system citizens can elect directly, making it vital for residents to know who candidates are, what commitments they make, how they plan to achieve their goals, and what past representatives have delivered."
🔗 Read the full article here: citizen.co.za/rosebank-killa…
The Real Democracy
The 'Just Access' podcast is back with 'The Real Democracy', a seven-episode audio series for South Africa’s 2026 local government elections. It examines the state of municipalities, its capacity, infrastructure and finance from the perspective of PARI’s research.
With a week to go before the local government elections, PARI colleagues reflect on the mood around the country and the choices facing voters. They discuss turnout, party campaigns and promises, coalition government, youth participation and the issues shaping the election debate.
Listen to the episode here: pari.org.za/podcast-just-acc…
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
@Waseem_Wala
Daniel Sher
@murial79459
Khanyisile Ngqalela
Zain Mayet
Akhona Mazibuko
Produced By:
Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
Three interventions for civic oversight of public procurement
This policy brief makes proposals for enabling greater civil society oversight of public procurement in South Africa. Conventional oversight arrives late, as shown by irregularities surfaced in audits long after contracts have been awarded and services have failed. Here PARI argues that civil society, communities and the public can be given a defined role in scrutinising public procurement.
🔗 Read the full policy brief here: pari.org.za/policy-brief-wat…
With a week to go before the local government elections, PARI colleagues reflect on the mood around the country and the choices facing voters. They discuss turnout, party campaigns and promises, coalition government, youth participation
and the issues shaping the election debate.
Episode 5 of Just Access: The Real Democracy, comes out tomorrow.
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
@Waseem_Wala
Daniel Sher
@murial79459
Khanyisile Ngqalela
Zain Mayet
Akhona Mazibuko
Produced By:
Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
Mahlatse Rampedi, researcher in PARI’s Just Transition programme, chatted to Liezle Wilson on @SABCNews about his research into how water provision is experienced (or not) in informal communities around Johannesburg, and what it costs.
pari.org.za/sabc-pari-on-ele…
The 5th episode of Just Access: The Real Democracy, comes out tomorrow.
Drawing on COMPACT's work, this episode will compare manifesto proposals concerning ward committees, participatory budgeting, municipal communication and public accountability. It will ask whether these commitments would give residents meaningful influence over local government or
simply create more consultation processes.
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
Kate Tissington, Senior Researcher, (PARI)
Jabu Hlatshwayo, Researcher, (PARI)
Khanyisile Ngqalela, Researcher, (PARI)
Produced By:
Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
'Show Your Hand: Parties must name their game before the election'
by Zain Mayet
"South Africa’s local government elections on 4 November will determine who represents each ward, but in many municipalities, elections will not settle who governs. Where no party wins an outright majority, that question moves from the ballot box to the negotiating table."
🔗 Read the full blog here: pari.org.za/blog-show-your-h…
At the recent Joburg Crisis Alliance summit, "Dr Sithembile Mbete of the Public Affairs Research Institute said that behind the service failures lies a municipality in financial and administrative distress, despite collecting over R81-billion in revenue in 2024/25."
🔗 Read the full article here: groundup.org.za/article/jobu…
On October 17 for the Joburg Crisis Alliance’s 10th summit took place to map out ward committee reform and voter accountability ahead of the upcoming municipal polls. PARI's Executive Director Dr Sithembile Mbete was in conversation with Khaya Sithole. “For cities like Johannesburg, which over the last 10 years has seen decline and instability in service delivery and governance, it’s a critical election.”
🔗 Read the article here: citizen.co.za/rosebank-killa…
Should South Africa have a 'none of the above' option on ballot papers?
"According to Dr Sithembile Mbete, Executive Director of the Public Affairs Research Institute, the concept could provide an alternative to staying away from voting or spoiling a ballot."
🔗 Read the full article here: za.headtopics.com/news/shoul…
The fourth episode of Just Access: The Real Democracy, is now available everywhere you listen to your podcasts.
Starting with Johannesburg’s struggles to provide functioning fire services, the episode explores procurement failures, political interference and the unequal consequences of administrative neglect. It asks how appointments could be made more transparent, why outsourcing still requires expertise within municipalities, and what concrete commitments voters should demand when parties promise capable, ethical government.
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
Dr Sithembile Mbete, Executive Director, (PARI)
Dr Sarah Meny-Gibert, State Reform programme lead, (PARI)
@Waseem_Wala, Researcher, (PARI)
Produced By: Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
PARI's Executive Director Dr Sithembile Mbete was on the panel of Joburg Crisis Alliance's 10th Summit, "What came out of the conversation today is that we really need to be engaged as residents throughout this period, not just the election, but really watching to see who's going to be on our ward committees and electing those ward committees, paying attention to who becomes the MMCs and holding those people accountable."
enca.com/news/residents-must…
The fourth episode of Just Access: The Real Democracy, is now available everywhere you listen to your podcasts.
Starting with Johannesburg’s struggles to provide functioning fire services, the episode explores procurement failures, political interference and the unequal consequences of administrative neglect. It asks how appointments could be made more transparent, why outsourcing still requires expertise within municipalities, and what concrete commitments voters should demand when parties promise capable, ethical government.
Host:
@TasneemEssop_ (@SWOPinstitute)
Guests:
Dr Sithembile Mbete, Executive Director, (PARI)
Dr Sarah Meny-Gibert, State Reform programme lead, (PARI)
@Waseem_Wala, Researcher, (PARI)
Produced By: Richard Rumney
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
The fourth episode of Just Access: The Real Democracy, is now available on all major platforms.
🔗 Tap the link to listen: pari.org.za/podcast-just-acc…
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
Can MKP hold together without Jacob Zuma?
“In my view it’s a clan party,” political analyst Dr Sithembile Mbete, executive director of the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI), told /explain/. She argued that the Zuma family’s influence would remain central to any succession contest, with battles over power and resources threatening the party’s cohesion."
🔗 Read the article: explain.co.za/2026/10/15/can…
The fourth episode of Just Access: The Real Democracy, is now available on all major platforms.
🔗 Tap the link to listen: pari.org.za/podcast-just-acc…
#JustAccessPodcast #LocalGovernment #Elections2026 #LGE2026
