HSF Briefs

Water infrastructure backlog and access to water infrastructure delivered

Since 1994, South Africa has achieved major reductions in water infrastructure backlog with consequent improvement in access to water infrastructure delivery. However, gross rural-urban inequalities still persist. This brief provides an assessment of the state of the national water infrastructure backlog and access to water infrastructure as viewed within global development principles and aspirations.

Emerging Contaminants - Crisis Or Manageable Risk?

At present the global scientific community is grappling with the question of whether emerging contaminants in water pose any substantial health risks to humans. While the serious empirical exploration is under way, misplaced media hype about them risks creating undue public panic. This brief explores current debates, risks and solutions for emerging contaminants in water bodies.

Moral Laws IV: Abortion

Abortion, not unlike sex work, is an age old subject which has been criminalised and decriminalised over the centuries. Like both sex work and drugs, abortion is a moral issue which debate has, in recent years (relatively speaking), taken a legal undertone by introducing the question of when life actually begins, with implications for the view that termination of pregnancy is equivalent to murder.

Moral Laws III: Drugs

Like the first two briefs on sex work in this ‘Moral Laws’ series, the stigmatisation of drug dependent users as outcasts and criminals is based on a particular morality. Unfortunately, once again, this has played the key role in our government’s (and the world’s) handling, at least until recently, of the drug problem – viewing it as a criminal justice issue as opposed to a health problem.

Moral Laws II: Sex work - The Arguments

This brief is the second brief of a series of four. This brief lays out the arguments for the status quo and for a reform of the system. It also discusses a possible solution to the legislative problem, in the form of a midway position. The third brief will deal with drug use and the fourth with abortion.

Moral Laws I: Sex work - History and current status

This brief is the first of a series of four. It deals with legislation about the sex trade in South Africa The second brief lays out the arguments for the status quo and for a reform of the system. The second brief also discusses a possible solution to the legislative problem, in the form of a midway position. The third brief will deal with drug use and the fourth with abortion.

Lindela And South Africa’s Defective Deportation Regime

What is going on at the Bosasa-run Lindela Repatriation Centre - South Africa's single specialised holding facility for irregular immigrants awaiting deportation? This brief investigates the country's notorious deportation regime and its custodians – the South African Police Service, the Department of Home Affairs and Bosasa.

The Medium Term Budget Policy Statement On Not Answering The Question

In this brief, Charles Simkins reflects on the Medium Term Budget Statement and the projections made therein.