South Africa: Cyril Ramaphosa does not close the door to a permanent basic income
Nkaneng slum in Marikana, August 15, 2013. REUTERS / Siphiwe Sibeko
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2 min
Since the start of the pandemic, with restrictions put in place to combat the virus, many South Africans have found themselves without resources.
The government then set up a monthly aid, of 350 rand (about twenty euros), for all those who do not have a job and do not receive other social assistance.
This boost was to end soon, but it could give way to lasting aid.
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With our correspondent in Johannesburg,
Claire Bargelès
During the celebrations for the 109th anniversary of the ANC on Friday, the South African president said he wanted to "
continue the discussions
" this year, around the establishment of a basic income, in order to create "
a safety net for the poorest in the country
”.
The idea has regularly come to the fore since the 90s. But
the health crisis
has given back arguments to its defenders, while the post-Covid-19 promises to be very complicated and the unemployment rate exceeds 30%.
South Africa already has a strong welfare system, which supports more than 18 million people, but such a basic income would include those who are not entitled to anything.
Voices are also raised against its implementation, claiming that South Africa does not have the means while its coffers are empty.
There is therefore a lot of debate to be resolved around the award criteria, and the mode of financing, before the idea becomes reality.
The payment of a universal income is currently being tested on a small scale in Kenya, but no country on the continent has so far adopted such a measure.
► Read also:
South Africa: "The country's structural economic crisis cannot be resolved by the government"
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South Africa
Economic crisis
Poverty