The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the African National Congress (ANC)’s firm commitment to deliver a Universal Basic Income Grant (UBIG), including finalising a policy and financing framework for it by the incoming Administration.
South Africa, under the leadership of the ANC, has done well to ensure some sort of social relief from the state for 27 million of our most impoverished compatriots. This is in addition to the considerable investments in the social wage for working class communities in the form of free schools in townships, NSFAS support for students at tertiary education, free health care for pregnant mothers and infants to subsidised public housing and transport.
The envisaged UBIG will play a critical role in ensuring that no South African is left without any source of income. COSATU has championed the current Special Relief Dispensation (SRD) Grant as the foundation of a UBIG.
Whilst we welcome these progressive strides towards achieving comprehensive social security, it is critical that these be partnered with skills development and employment programmes to ensure that we reverse the current two to one ratio between persons receiving financial support from the state to those employed in the economy.
It is also important that a progressive road map be put in place over the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework to ensure the SRD and the Child Support Grants in particular are raised to the Food Poverty Line.
Each administration has delivered upon a key social-economic policy objective. The outgoing administration led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has shown great fortitude and achieved the National Minimum Wage, the COVID-19 social and economic relief package, the SRD, Presidential Employment Stimulus and more recently the National Health Insurance Act. We look forward to the incoming 7th Administration led by President Ramaphosa not only building the NHI but also the UBIG and laying the foundation for comprehensive social security. These are the pillars for a caring society and a better life for all.
Issued by COSATU
For further information please contact:
Matthew Parks
Acting National Spokesperson & Parliamentary Coordinator
Cell: 082 785 0687