HSF Briefs

Has Statistics South Africa Under-Estimated The Employment Recovery?

Many commentators have argued that the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in the unemployment rate, relying solely on Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). But the QLFS is not the only source of information on the labour market. This brief considers the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the labour market by reviewing data from Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Employment Statistics and national accounts, as well as the National Income Dynamics Study Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey.

The Expropriation Bill - Why is everyone focusing on expropriation without compensation and not on the major land reform issues?

This brief examines the many problematic aspects on the subject of land reform in South Africa and points out that the proposed amendment to the Constitution and the Expropriation Bill are not the major issues of concern.

The Silence of the Constitutionalists

In this brief, Matthew Kruger reflects on the suspension of democratic power and subordination of transformative goals during the last year of lockdown. After touching on the failures of our major political parties, Parliament and the media to comprehend or resist this reality, he turns his attention to civil society. In the face of this 365-day deferral of the Constitution, why have so many of our NGOs and lawyers kept silent?

Whom The Gods Would Destroy They First Make Mad

How to achieve redistribution with growth in a period of economic decline is difficult and the beginning of wisdom is to avoid actions which make things worse rather than better. The purpose of this brief is to identify some of them.

Service Delivery in South Africa at a Glance

Against the backdrop of recent discussions on service delivery in the Kgetlengrivier Local Municipality this brief will examine current reactions to service delivery failures and possible actions that aggrieved residents may take.

Who Are The Hungry Children? And How Far Can Increases In Social Grants Help Them? Evidence From The 2019 General Household Survey.

Hunger, and particularly child hunger, have been discussed recently as a justification for extending the social grant system. This brief probes the relationship between child hunger and social grants using data from the 2019 General Household Survey (GHS).

Alternative Proposals For Electing Constituency Representatives In A Mixed System

This brief considers three proposals on the table for a mixed member proportional (MMP) electoral system for consideration by the National Assembly’s Home Affairs Portfolio Committee, and makes the point that advocacy of an MMP system does not, in itself, settle all the details which will needed to be considered in the process of electoral reform.

The Public Sector Wage Dispute: Understanding the judgment of the Labour Appeal Court

This brief considers and evaluates the reasoning of the Labour Appeal Court in the public sector wage dispute and considers the implications of its judgment, in light of the approach adopted by Treasury in the 2021 Budget.