Rafael Leite, a researcher in the Public Service Reform Programme at the New South Institute, published an opinion piece in News24 on 2 October 2026 titled “The state no one can own: Why coalitions may be SA’s best safeguard”.

Writing ahead of the local government elections on 4 November, Leite argues that service delivery failures, such as Johannesburg’s water crisis, come down to who appoints, keeps and protects the people who run the state. He looks at the two laws President Ramaphosa signed in March 2026, the Public Service Amendment Act and the Public Administration Management Amendment Act, which move personnel powers from ministers to heads of department but are not yet in force.

Comparing South Africa with recent debates in the United States and Germany, and with reform experiences in Medellín and Peru, he argues that coalition politics may make implementation more likely. When no party can be sure it will control the next appointment, impersonal rules begin to look less like an obstacle and more like insurance.

The article is available on News24 (subscription required).