Some people say the unemployed must simply go and find a job, but GOOD's leader Patricia de Lille says these statements lack compassion. "How should an unemployed plumber with a family pay for a taxi to town to attend a job interview? How does a cleaner respond to a job advert in the community newspaper without money for airtime?" she asks.
In 1999, the Mandela government and COSATU agreed to investigate the implementation of a basic income grant. Three years later, a committee determined that that even a small grant could reduce poverty by 76%. The basic grant was recommended, but never implemented.
Since then, the government has lost hundreds of billions to corruption, irregular expenditure and state—owned enterprise bailouts. Much much more has been wasted than is needed to fund a grant to alleviate inhumane hunger.
GOOD has reissued the call to government to implement the grant, arguing that the need to support vulnerable citizens is now more important than ever. We must introduce the grant to cushion rising unemployment, extreme poverty and desperation.
Millions of people between 18 and 59 years of age get no government support, and although many are looking for work, there are simply now enough jobs in the country at the moment.
"No just society should allow its people to starve" says Mark Rountree, GOOD's National Policy Officer. He says that a grant could be funded using savings from stopping corruption and reducing waste to fund it. During the Zuma administration, hundreds of billions - more than R25 000 per South African citizen – was lost to corruption and lack of investment. This is easily enough to fund a small monthly grant for unemployed people.
GOOD is asking all of the public, the unions and political parties across all spectrums to unite for the common good of all citizens. Stop the looting and let us use the savings to fight inhumane hunger and poverty instead.
Former President Nelson Mandela said that "overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice." Support GOOD's movement for justice and sign the petition for the grant at: https://www.change.org/p/support-a-basic-income-grant-for-unemployed-south-africans
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