Head of @CDEsouthafrica, leading South African think tank. State of the nation, democracy, development and thrillers.
Johannesburg, South Africa
Joined June 2013
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ann bernstein retweeted
BEYOND THE X - Are we ready for what comes after 4 November?
We co-hosted this event with Defend our Democracy, the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office, the Campaign for Digital Ethics (C.O.D.E.) and the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance last night.
What awaits us after South Africa’s upcoming local government elections? More of the same, or a path towards better governance?
Our panel brought together:
🔹 @annbernsteinSA, Executive Director, Centre for Development and Enterprise
🔹 Dr Trevor Ngwane, Senior Lecturer & Director, Centre for Sociological Research and Practice (CSRP), University of Johannesburg
🔹 Dr Len Mortimer, Senior Lecturer, School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University, and former Municipal Manager
🔹 Lisa SEFTEL, Joburg Crisis Alliance Steering Committee Member and former Executive Director for Transport, @CityofJoburgZA
Moderated by @dailymaverick's @ferialhaffajee, the discussion tackled the big questions:
🗳️ Can we still fix local government and metros like Johannesburg that are too big to fail?
🏙️ How can we build sustainable municipalities that work for everyone?
✊ What is the best way for civil society to hold politicians accountable and drive change?
„It starts with you. Use your vote wisely!” — Ann Bernstein
🎥 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - Watch the full conversation here:
📺 youtube.com/watch?app=deskto…
@ForDemocracySa @SALGA_Gov @StellenboschUni @NationalCoGTA @CDEsouthafrica @go2uj @CSRPUJ @of_spl @CPLO_SA @CODE_DigiEthics @TheJCA_
ann bernstein retweeted
“A reforming administration will need a strategy to deal with pushback. Officials whose positions are threatened will litigate. Coalition partners will apply pressure. Corrupt interests benefiting from dysfunction will not go quietly.”
– @annbernsteinSA, CDE executive director, in her op-ed in the @SundayTimesZA on how to start fixing Johannesburg’s management crisis.
🔗 Link in the comments.
ann bernstein retweeted
Johannesburg needs radical transparency.
CDE's 'Time for Action – Corruption in Joburg', Report Five in the Johannesburg Matters series, sets out practical reforms to tackle corruption and strengthen accountability in the city, including more transparent appointments and public oversight of municipal procurement.
"Essentially, we're calling for merit appointments," says @annbernsteinSA CDE executive director.
📄 Read the report:
cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
#JoburgMatters #Johannesburg #SouthAfrica
ann bernstein retweeted
📢 Happening today | Ahead of the 2026 local government elections, join CDE executive director Ann Bernstein and Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero for a conversation on Joburg’s future, effective governance, service delivery and the city’s economy.
📅 Thursday, 15 October 2026
⏰ 5–6pm SAST
🔗 Register: cde-org-za.zoom.us/webinar/r…
ann bernstein retweeted
#CDEConversations | What is at stake in Joburg?
Join CDE executive director @annbernsteinSA in conversation with City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor @DadaMorero to discuss the challenges facing the city and the priorities for a new administration.
📅Thursday, 15 October 2026
⏰ 5–6pm SAST
🔗Register: cde-org-za.zoom.us/webinar/r…
ann bernstein retweeted
“We have to change the economics of corruption by reducing opportunities and raising the risk of detection and sanction.”
In the @SundayTimesZA , CDE’s @annbernsteinSA argues that corruption and municipal decline reinforce each other, calling for greater procurement transparency and accountability.
Read: cde.org.za/corruption-thrive…
ann bernstein retweeted
CDE has launched 'Time for Action – Corruption in Joburg', Report Five in its 'Johannesburg Matters' series, and held an online discussion with Ayanda Ntsaluba (Discovery Limited), @annbernsteinSA (CDE) and @Mark_Shaw_ (@GI_TOC).
The report finds a “crime-council ecosystem” where political, business and criminal interests intersect around local government and benefit from dysfunction.
It sets out ten priorities for action.
📄 Read the report here: cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
ann bernstein retweeted
📢 Happening today| @helenzille, Democratic Alliance candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg, will be in conversation with CDE executive director @annbernsteinSA.
The discussion will focus on the challenges facing Johannesburg and the priorities for a new administration.
📅 8 October| 5–6pm SAST
Register: cde-org-za.zoom.us/webinar/r…
ann bernstein retweeted
"To turn City Power around, a new City government will need to put capable people in charge, give the utility control over its own revenue, collect what it is owed, and bring in the private sector," said CDE executive director Ann Bernstein.
ann bernstein retweeted
While load shedding has become less acute as a major national issue, Johannesburg has continued to struggle to keep the lights on.
60% of Johannesburg's power outages were caused by deteriorating and outdated networks.
ann bernstein retweeted
Don't dismantle key utilities, fix them.
Some candidates for Johannesburg's next mayor argue for the collapse of some or all the entities back into the City administration. CDE disagrees.
ann bernstein retweeted
#CDEConversations | What is at stake in Joburg?
Join @helenzille, Democratic Alliance candidate for Mayor of Johannesburg, in conversation with CDE executive director @annbernsteinSA as they discuss the challenges facing the city and priorities for a new administration.
📅 8 October | ⏰5–6pm (SAST)
Register: cde-org-za.zoom.us/webinar/r…
🤖 Made with AI
ann bernstein retweeted
While load shedding has become less acute as a major national issue, Johannesburg has continued to struggle to keep the lights on.
60% of Johannesburg's power outages were caused by deteriorating and outdated networks.
City Power estimates that its infrastructure backlog stands at R44.25 billion.
📄 Read "Powering Joburg's Turnaround", the fourth report in CDE's "Johannesburg Matters: Fixing South Africa's growth engine" series: cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
#JoburgMatters #Joburg #Johannesburg #SouthAfrica #Electricity #Governance
ann bernstein retweeted
Johannesburg is caught in a fiscal “doom loop”. Falling collections → higher tariffs → customers stop paying or leave → less infrastructure investment → worse services → even weaker collections. Unpaid bills have risen to nearly R72bn.
@annbernsteinSA | @dailymaverick
Read more: cde.org.za/can-johannesburg-… #JohannesburgMatters
Opinion: A military that cannot fly, sail or count its weapons is a sovereignty crisis defenceweb.co.za/sa-defence-…
ann bernstein retweeted
"It is imperative to do a few decisive things in the right order: stabilise leadership, secure the cash, stop the bleeding, keep the lights on," said @annbernsteinSA, CDE executive director.
The report sets out a strategy for the first 100 days of a new government in Johannesburg.
"Ultimately, there are no easy or quick fixes. The strategy will need to be decisive, realistic and carefully planned."
📄 Read Powering Joburg's Turnaround, the fourth report in CDE's Johannesburg Matters: cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
#JoburgMatters #Joburg #Johannesburg #SouthAfrica #CityPower #Electricity
ann bernstein retweeted
Don't dismantle key utilities, fix them.
Some candidates for Johannesburg's next mayor argue for the collapse of some or all the entities back into the City administration. CDE disagrees.
"Collapsing them back into an already weak City administration will not fix them. It would change where the functions sit without addressing the problems that have left the utilities unable to deliver," said @annbernsteinS, CDE executive director.
📄 Read Powering Joburg's Turnaround, the fourth report in CDE's Johannesburg Matters: Fixing South Africa's growth engine series: cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
#JoburgMatters #Joburg #Johannesburg #SouthAfrica #CityPower
ann bernstein retweeted
CDE argues that the incoming administration should make getting the right people into the most important jobs one of its priorities.
Read "Kickstarting Delivery: Joburg's Mission Critical Jobs", the third report in CDE's Johannesburg Matters series: cde.org.za/johannesburg-matt…
