by Citizens' Income Trust | Oct 10, 2012 | Research
The World Bank has published a report, The Cash Dividend: The rise of cash transfer programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, by Marito Garcia and Charity M. T. Moore. The authors conclude: ‘Much can already be learned from Sub-Saharan Africa’s experience with cash transfer programs. Evaluations of unconditional programs have found significant impacts on household food consumption (for instance, Miller, Tsoka, and Mchinji Evaluation Team 2007 for Malawi’s Social Cash Transfer Program; Soares and Teixeira 2010 for Mozambique’s Food Subsidy Program); nonfood consumption (for instance, RHVP 2009 for Zambia’s Social Cash Transfer); and children’s nutrition and education (including Agüero, Carter, and Woolard 2007 and Williams 2007 for South Africa’s Child Support Grant). A recent experimental evaluation found that a program for adolescent girls conditioned on their school attendance improved enrollment, attendance, and test scores in Malawi. Unconditional transfers in the same program decreased early marriage and pregnancy among girls who had already dropped out of school.’ (p.8).
https://bit.ly/ct4SSA
by Karl Widerquist | Jul 13, 2012 | News, The Indepentarian
On June 16, 2012, Khayelitsha, South Africa, has faced protests in favor of basic income, according to Sisi Lwandle. Khayelitsha Progressive Youth Movement and New Women’s Movement demanded basic income grant of about 2000 Rand (roughly US$240) per year, increase in child support grant, and end to labor brokers. Many civil society organizations in South Africa call for basic income grant, but government has not adopted any official position on it. The country provides many welfare grants, but able bodied adults without income cannot benefit from any of them. This adds to the fact that there is a high unemployment. Employment conditions are so costly that employers prefer not to employ inexperienced or bad workers. Many pensioners support the members of their family that have no income. If basic income were granted to the citizens, this would take the burden out of pensioners. Government intent of providing a basic income to its citizens in South Africa is a big social challenge and a hole in government policy.
For more on the above proposals, see the following:
BIG Financing Reference Group (March 2004) “Breaking the Poverty Trap:” Financing a Basic Income Grant in South Africa.” BIG Financing Reference Group.
https://www.blacksash.org.za/docs/financingbig.pdf
Hassen, Ebrahim-Khalil (4 February 2011) “South Africa: The Balance between Growth and Redistribution – Revisiting the Call for a Basic Income Grant.” The South African Civil Society Information Service.
https://allafrica.com/stories/201102040709.html
Kenny, Andrew (14 November 2011) “A Basic Income Grant for Paupers and Vagabonds.” Politics Web.
https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politicsweb/view/politicsweb/en/page71639?oid=266588&sn=Detail&pid=71639
Lwandle, Sisi (June 17 2012) “Protesters demand Basic Income Grant.” IOL News.
https://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/protesters-demand-basic-income-grant-1.1320583#.T_1YWWhpu0c
by Yannick Vanderborght | Jun 29, 2011 | News
In the opinion of Clem Sunter, a columnist at the african Online-Newspaper News24, a second tipping point around economic freedom is needed, in contrast to the first one around political freedom in the early 1990s. He sais:
It is now a case of a new deal to launch South Africa onto the growth path of becoming a winning nation; or no deal plunging the nation into civil war. Codesa III will require different players at the table including business, agricultural bodies and trade unions alongside the major political actors. Other community-based organisations, NGOs, business schools and various academic experts will be required for aspects of the debate. Following in the footsteps of the previous Codesas, an open debate must lead to decisions and actions ushering in a new economic order. We have done it before, we can do it again.
The agenda will be different. Here is the one I propose; but obviously Ebrahim Patel and members of the National Planning Commission must be involved in formulating it.
The list of Clem Sunter contains at Point 6 the possibility of introducing Basic Income Grants:
6. Economic Freedom
[…] and the possibility of introducing basic income grants […] in rural communities. […]
The whole article is available at:
https://www.news24.com/Columnists/ClemSunter/New-deal-or-no-deal-20110629
by Yannick Vanderborght | Jun 23, 2011 | News
The ANC needs to focus on getting the basics right: instead of calling for nationalisation, the party should be creating a government for the nation. In this open letter JUSTINE LIMPITLAW offers some practical suggestions about what the ANC must do to make South Africa work.
Within the text:
I suppose the calls for nationalisation (and this from a man who allegedly does not pay his taxes!) are because his greed (and that of others like him) outweighs the fiscus. This, from a party that does not even support a basic income grant for poor people? For shame.
Link:
https://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/article/2011-06-23-open-letter-dear-anc-why-not-nationalise-the-government
by Karl Widerquist | Feb 25, 2011 | Research
The South African Civil Society Information Service
This article looks back on the campaign for BIG in South Africa, discussing its successes and failures. Its online at:
https://www.sacsis.org.za/site/article/615.1
