This Policy Brief describes and analyses the Government of National Unity (GNU), formed in the aftermath of South Africa's elections of 29 May 2024. It sets out the main features of the GNU nationally, and in the three provinces where there was no outright majority. It also assesses the GNU's impact on intergovernmental relations, and reflects on GNUs concluded elsewhere on the continent.
This report presents the findings of a study undertaken by the Multilevel Government Project at the Dullah Omar Institute. The study examined whether municipalities are publishing councillors’ declarations of interest on their respective municipal websites.
A documentation of the seminar titled "A citizen’s perspective on the rule of law: Democracy and elections in South Africa," conducted on 21 February 2024, and organized by the Dullah Omar Institute, in partnership with the Hanns Seidel Foundation South Africa (HSF).
This research report is the outcome of a joint research project between the Dullah Omar Institute and the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice in Africa (ACE-AJ). This project documented the role, functions, challenges and regulation of paralegals in Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal.
This research report is the outcome of a joint research project between the Dullah Omar Institute and the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice in Africa (ACE-AJ). This project documented the role, functions, challenges and regulation of paralegals in Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire and Senegal.
In this Policy Brief, we explore two issues, namely (1) what are the options for thresholds at municipal level? and (2) how to ensure that municipal service delivery continues when there is instability?
This submission was made to the National Department of Health, South Africa on 20 July 2023
This report presents the findings of a study conducted by the Dullah Omar Institute (DOI) in partnership with the International Budget Partnership South Africa (IBP-SA). The study examined the state of transparency in local government procurement, in particular the reasons why municipalities do not publish key procurement information on their websites and National Treasury’s eTender Portal timeously and consistently. Procurement information in this context includes tender notices, tender specifications, and tender awards.
This report summaries what emerged during the lecture on 'The application of ubuntu in law, mediation and social change.'
The Womxn and Democracy Initiative and the Parliamentary Monitoring Group undertook monitoring of the information that was available regarding National Parliament committee meetings from April 2020 through to 31 March 2021 during the first year of the National State of Disaster.The purpose of this research was to assess the extent to which parliamentary committees have complied with their obligation to be open and transparent, and to facilitate public access under the conditions of the pandemic.
After four years of implementation of the Putting People in People’s Parliament Project the implementing partners have distilled key lessons and advocacy work for the future to increase public access to our legislatures.
The move of legislatures to hold committee meetings on online meeting platforms and stream on online platforms, opened a world of possibilities to increase their reach to a wide spectrum of the public. The PPiPP project undertook work to ensure that the gains made during C19 pandemic are not lost, and to address some of the widening inequality in access that resulted due to the high costs of data and tech.
The PPiPP project ran for four years from 2018 to 2021, at its heart was a wide range of people, working in CSOs who together worked to increase the claims of the public on our legislatures to promote delivery on social justice and human rights in South Africa.
This presentation shares lessons learnt and ideas for CSOs and provincial legislatures to improve public access to information from PLs.
The presentation establishes key points for civil society engagement to potentially influence the development of Provincial Money Bill’s legislation during 2022 and beyond. It is based on information in the Status of Money Bills – November 2021 update report.
The Speaker of the ECPL addressed the civil society event on issues of improving engagements between PLs and CSOs.
The Democracy Works Foundation provided this reflection on their experience leading the Civil Society Participation in Provincial Legislatures Programme. Reflecting on experiences and lessons learnt by CSOs in the Northern Cape and Limpopo Provinces. Presented at a DOI led round-table in September 2021.
Landrosa describes the experiences of attempts to increase engagements for social justice in GPL and challenges posed to public participation as a result of the political system presented at DOI led round table 14 09 2021.
This report is the outcome of a joint research project by the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, and the African Centre of Excellence for Access to Justice in Africa. Paralegals play a critical role in providing legal support and ensuring access to justice for the community, work which they do in the face of numerous challenges. Some of the factors that inhibit access to justice are poverty, illiteracy, the bureaucratic nature of legal systems, and delays in the administration of justice. This executive summary outlines the methodology, findings, and recommendations of the study. This study aims to document the role, functions, challenges and regulation of paralegals in Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda. It has been conducted in conjunction with the ACE-AJ, and it documents good practices that can be replicated in other African countries.
The purpose of this report is primarily to provide an update on the status of money bills amendment legislation across provincial legislatures in South Africa. It follows from an earlier, much more detailed, report: Fiscal Oversight by Parliament and Provincial Legislatures (2019). Readers who are interested in more background, technical detail and analysis should read the earlier report as well.
This booklet is about what happens when ‘the people’ go inside parliament to participate in processes of law-making and oversight.
PPiPP partners, The Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) have created an easily accessible resource titled 'A People's Guide to the Adjusted Budget 2021/22'. The Guide provides an explanation on the changes to the amounts of money allocated to departments and their programmes after the passing of the national budget in Parliament.This year's guide notes changes to the education, water and sanitation and other sectors while providing an overview of Covid-19 related spending.
This report, which focuses on transparency in local government procurement, follows on the 2020 report titled "How transparent are municipal websites about the goods and services that municipalities procure?" In total, 34 municipalities were assessed for the 2020 report. The sample of municipalities was increased to 49 in the 2021 survey.
This Framework provides practical guidelines to political parties and councillors on the formation and management of coalitions in local government. It sets out the relevant law but also offers guidance on issues such as coalition agreements, kingmakers and the distribution of political offices.
This report surveys the experience of local government stakeholders in the Western Cape with addressing corruption. The report was commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Local Government and supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The report gives an overview of manifestations of corruption in local government, as well as the experience of local government stakeholders in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting allegations of corruption, involving local government officials and councillors.
This report details the legal framework for combating corruption in municipalities. It was commissioned by the Western Cape Department of Local Government and supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. It presents an overview of the law applicable to detecting, investigating, and prosecuting allegations of corruption, involving local government officials and councillors.
The Manual provides us with further insight into the electoral process and will ensure that the various role-players are suitably informed of the rules and regulations governing them. We hope in particular that citizens, the media, political parties and their candidates take note of these legal prescripts.
A growing number of African countries are considering passing or implementing reforms that include some form of decentralisation. There is thus a demand for clear and accessible materials that would assist policymakers, practitioners, students and members of the public to better understand the various concepts and mechanisms associated with decentralisation. A few countries on the continent are considering or implementing federalism, while many more are weighing up or are already implementing decentralised systems of government.
Unpacking the 2024 Government of National Unity in South Africa: Challenges, opportunities and lessons for Stable Coalition Governance
![Projet de rapport de recherche sur le statut juridique des parajuristes communautaires dans certains pays francophones: leçons, défis et bonnes pratiques practices [French version]](https://admin.dullahomarinstitute.org.za/socio-economic-rights/research-and-publications/publications/projet-de-rapport-de-des-parajuristes-2023-digital.pdf/@@images/09c788f2-24e8-4b1d-b645-444137bd91ca.jpeg "Projet de rapport de recherche sur le statut juridique des parajuristes communautaires dans certains pays francophones: leçons, défis et bonnes pratiques practices [French version]")
