'Most Notably' (30 March 2026)

We open this week's 'Most Notably' with a media statement from National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza on "escalating tensions between segments of the religious sector and the Commission for the Promotion & Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious & Linguistic Communities ... particularly in relation to the establishment and processes of its Section 22 Committee". According to the statement, concerns have been expressed about:

• "the constitutionality (and) inclusivity" of the process leading to the committee's formal establishment

• its "perceived overreach into religious affairs", and

• "public statements attributed to (the) leadership of the Commission ... viewed as undermining religious beliefs and practices".

Launched in October 2025 to contribute towards "finding solutions that will significantly safeguard the spiritual and emotional well-being of congregants", the committee is also charged with:

• "reaffirm(ing) principles that promote and advance ... respect for human dignity", and

• "end(ing) ... instances of abuse ... reported to the Commission and in the media".

At the time, a press release on the launch referred expressly to:

• "allegations of sexual assault against young girls, perpetrated by certain religious leaders", as well as

• individuals:

  • "being sprayed with insecticide "

  • "made to ingest grass"

  • "consum(ing) petrol"

  • "chewing on snakes", and

  • "made to lie down and (have) vehicles driven on them."

Subsequent committee statements point to ongoing misunderstandings and unfounded allegations.

According to Didiza, the National Assembly Committee on Co-operative Governance & Traditional Affairs "has already begun engaging with stakeholders to better understand the issues at hand" and has been instructed to "urgently intensify" interactions with all affected parties in order to:

• facilitate "constructive dialogue"

• clarify "areas of misunderstanding", and

• work towards "a resolution that upholds constitutional principles, promotes inclusivity, and restores confidence in the processes under way".

expanded public works programme

The Department of Public Works & Infrastructure has embarked on a reform process intended to curb "political interference in the allocation of extended public works programme (EPWP) positions".

Among other things, the media statement announcing this refers to allegations involving mayor committee members in certain municipalities offering EPWP positions in exchange for sex, the payment of party membership fees, and the performance of "domestic chores".

Public Works & Infrastructure Minister Dean Macpherson is quoted as having noted the importance of introducing "a transparent, technology driven application system to remove political influence, strengthen oversight, and ensure fair access to opportunities". This is noting the programme's intention when it was launched in 2006, which was to provide short-term employment opportunities as a "hand-up" to permanent positions.

With that in mind, the reforms envisaged will include measures to ensure that EPWP placements include training and skills development.

Welcoming the announcement, a National Assembly Public Works & Infrastructure Committee press release noted the importance of restoring the "credibility" and "integrity" of the EPWP as "a genuine pathway to work, skills and dignity" for some of South Africa's most vulnerable citizens.

economic policymaking

A programme intended to deepen evidence-based economic policymaking has begun its third phase. According to a National Treasury media statement announcing this, the programme's overarching objective is to "close the gap between research and policy implementation" by "embedding evidence directly within government systems and building analytical capacity". It is underpinned by a commitment to inclusive economic policy development.

Funded by the EU and UK, the programme entails close collaboration with the UN University's World Institute for Development Economics Research, whose website includes detailed information on the intervention's first two phases. In short:

• Phase I (a five-year initiative ending in November 2022) paired senior officials from government agencies with international experts, enabling appropriate responses to "knowledge gaps in key policy areas within the respective government departments", while

• Phase 2 (a three-year initiative ending in June 2025) focused on "capacity development and policy-bridging" as key building blocks in establishing a credible "research infrastructure around South Africa’s tax-administrative data".

To date, research conducted during the programme has "addressed six core areas central to South Africa's development agenda:

• "enterprise development for job creation and growth"

• "public revenue mobilisation for inclusive development"

• "structural transformation, labour markets and inequality dynamics"

• "macro-fiscal analysis and policy modelling"

• "food, energy, and water in the context of climate change", and

• "reform implementation and delivery".

Scheduled to end in 2029, Phase 3 will consolidate and expand on what has been achieved so far. It will also introduce "a new emphasis on public expenditure efficiency, reflecting the reality that, in a constrained fiscal environment, the question is no longer only how much the state spends, but how effectively it spends".

Oops!

We close with a statement from the Department of Mineral & Petroleum Resources assuring South Africans that – in the context of managing the impact of rising fuel prices – working from home was mentioned during a departmental workshop "purely as an example of one of several possible options that individuals or organisations might consider". Attributed to Robert Maake in his capacity as director of fuel pricing, according to the statement the working from home option is not an official government position, policy proposal or ministerial directive and should not be interpreted as such.

Until next Monday ...

Policy Watch SA

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