6 March 2013
South Africa has extremely high levels of poverty, unemployment and income inequality and the social grant system is a poverty alleviation tool that offers relief to over 15 million people living in poverty. Social assistance programmes, mainly in the form of cash transfers, are becoming increasingly popular in developing Southern countries. South Africa is often used as an example of having one of the most comprehensive social assistance programmes in the developing world. But within South Africa, questions are raised concerning the economic viability and social desirability of such a large cash transfer programme. The are strong debates within South African society around whether social grants promote a culture of entitlement or present a practical economic, poverty-alleviation and social development tool. Some people think we're spending too much money on social grants, whilst human rights activists criticise the state for not making sufficient efforts to progressively realise the Constitutional right to social security of all South Africans in need.
In this special edition of GroundUp, our community journalists tackle the issue of social grants, finding stories of corruption and poor service, but also discover that social grants, combined with developmental social programmes, can create opportunities for people to exit poverty and build better lives.
South Africa's social grant system is sometimes criticised as financially unsustainable and fueling dependency, but people such as Maureen Philander from Delft provide an example of how social assistance can transform lives. She shares her story with us.
Maureen Philander
An overview of South Africa's social grant system and how to apply for social assistance.
Issa Saunders
Although refugees are now eligible to receive the social grants offered by the South African government, many face administrative challenges in applying for these grants.
Mary-Anne Gontsana
On Monday March 4, GroundUp spent the morning at the South African Social Assistance Agency (SASSA) paypoint at Athlone Civic Centre speaking to people who had been waiting in-line since the early hours of the morning to receive their grants.
Margo Fortune
High levels of corruption and fraud in the social grant system have been acknowledged by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). According to a press release issued by SASSA on 20 February 2013, 10 SASSA offices in KwaZulu-Natal are being investigated for disability grant fraud amounting to R38 million in a case in which syndicates, some SASSA officials, medical doctors, and members of the public are suspected to be involved.
Nokubonga Yawa
Andiswa (not her real name) has been a resident of Khayelitsha Site C for 27 years. She turned her township home into a BnB business in 2006 offering tourists the exclusive and unique option of experiencing life in a shack. This all came to a screeching halt in April 2009 when her house was destroyed by BKS employees.
Mary-Jane Matsolo
GroundUp spent an evening in the harbour with Xoliswa Bekiswa as she takes us through the challenges of her exciting job as one of only a few female Marine Pilots in South Africa.
Buchule Putini
GroundUp interviewed Justin Peters, Cape Town Pride Brand Ambassador and PR Director on the Cape Town Pride Event which happened on Saturday March 2, 2013.
Nokubonga Yawa
Angie Motshekga is in an ebullient mood. On Tuesday at Parliament she told the media that South African education is on an upward trajectory, characterized by focus, consistency and clarity. Fine. Nothing wrong with a bit of positive thinking.
Doron Isaacs
Of all the adjectives used to describe South African politics, boring cannot be one of them. Completely out of the blue the Democratic Alliance (DA) on Tuesday submitted an Electoral Reform Bill (Bill) to Parliament, which aims \xe2\x80\x9cto provide for the demarcation of \xe2\x80\xa6 constituencies\xe2\x80\x9d in order to deal with the \xe2\x80\x9calienation by voters from the political system\xe2\x80\x9d.
Gregory Solik
March is Human Rights month and South Africa, as an organic state with its over 48 million citizens, is able to flaunt a Constitution which other countries that are older than \xe2\x80\x9cour not so new South Africa\xe2\x80\x9d, can only dream of. Using the Constitution as a starting point, Bukelwa Voko makes a case for a comprehensive social security basket to support women and children.
Bukelwa Voko
Cancellation of a planned march by the farmworkers coalition against alleged intimidation by farmers has led to claims that the City of Cape Town is complicit in undermining the new R105 minimum wage.
Benjamin Fogel and Jeanne Hefez
GroundUp spoke to Hunters FC striker Ipeleng Seepamore about how he keeps his mind and body in form to play.
Margo Fortune