Resources

Departmental Strategy

Strategic Plan for the period 2025-2030

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has developed its 2025-30 Strategic Plan which addresses priorities 2 and 3 of the Medium-Term Development Plan. This strategic plan will be translated into detailed Annual Performance Plans to ensure effective implementation and monitoring throughout the five-year period.

The Department is pivotal in establishing a capable, ethical, and developmental state. This plan incorporates various interventions, including specialized training, to empower officials and bridge skills gaps, enabling them to effectively fulfil their duties as a catalyst to improve service delivery. The Department's improved performance reflects the dedicated efforts of officials at all management levels. During this strategic cycle, we aim to build on the progress made in the previous administration and address past Auditor-General findings. We remain committed to achieving unqualified audit opinions on the Department's Vote, predetermined objectives, and administered funds.

In alignment with the government transformation agenda, the Department will continue to sustain female representation in the Senior Management Service (SMS) and Middle Management Service (MMS) positions. Furthermore, we have reached 2% representation of persons with disabilities and 21% representation of youth.

The modernisation of justice services remains a key priority for the Department to increase access. Although some strides were achieved in the previous cycle progress has been slower than anticipated. This is amongst other things attributed to the outdated IT infrastructure which the Department has had to prioritise. To speed up the modernization process, the Department has capacitated the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) branch, approved its Modernisation and Digitalisation Strategy, and established well-functioning ICT Committees to ensure good governance. In the 2019-2025 Strategic cycle, the Department successfully ensured the accessibility of 5 justice services online. The intention is to increase the online services to 16 by 2030 and capacitate all our courts to provide virtual proceedings. This will not only improve accessibility but will also ensure efficiency and ultimately enhance the quality of justice delivery.

Read the full document:

• Strategic Plan for the period 2025-2030.pdf [2.45mb, published 17 July 2025].
• Strategic Plan Mid-Term Report, 2020-2025.pdf [Published 21 Feb 2023]

 

Annual Performance Plan for the period 2026-2027

The year 2026 marks the commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa in May 1996, which coincides with the implementation of the Annual Performance Plan (APP) 2026/27. For the financial year 2026/27, the department will undertake a yearlong commemoration of the 30 years since the adoption of the constitution under the theme "30 YEARS OF CONSTITUTION: ONE CONSTITUTION, ONE NATION REFLECT. RENEW. RECOMMIT. "The national commemoration will be an inclusive initiative involving multiple stakeholders, including government departments, Chapter 9 institutions, civil society, organised labour, business, traditional and religious leaders, youth formations, and educational institutions.

The programme will include public dialogues, civic education, cultural events, youth engagements, symbolic events at historic sites such as Sharpeville and Constitutional Hill, and other community driven initiatives to deepen constitutional awareness and social cohesion. We will also during this year host an International Conference on Access to Justice as part of reflecting on the journey travelled, and renewal our Commitment to the principles of our constitutional democracy.

The upcoming Local Government Election will also coincide with the implementation of the 2026/27 Performance Plan, which will provide an opportunity for civil society organisations and political parties to advance voter education, reminding the citizens of their constitutional right to vote. The exercise of this constitutional right will firstly be a reminder that our constitution was drafted to achieve peace, unity and stability after many years of painful and violent struggle, and secondly, to lay a foundation for the transformation of the South African society so as to "Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights".

It is for this reason that we will do everything we can as the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development to respond to the concern raised by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his state of the nation address when he said, "South Africans are worried about violent crime and corruption." He further observed that "Organised crime is now the most immediate threat to our democracy, our society and our economic development." As part of the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster we will play our part in ensuring that organised crime is brought under control.

Follow this link to read the Departmental Annual Performance Plan 2026-2027.pdf [4.63mb]
Published on 30 April 2026.