The study investigates to what extent would the introduction of the Basic Income Grant (BIG) address poverty in South Africa. The BIG, which was recommended by a government led Taylor Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive System of Social Security for South Africa in 2002, is recommended as one of the most likely strategies through which the high poverty levels could be mitigated. Exponents of the BIG argue that this far reaching policy is desperately needed to rid South Africa’s communities of poverty. However, critics argue that the introduction of the BIG would be unaffordable, unsustainable and would increase dependency on the state. The study presents three case studies. The first case study gives an overview of poverty in South Africa. It asserts that an estimated 15.4 million people are still living in poverty. The second case study provides a general idea of the current social protection system. It examines how the current system has performed its function of addressing poverty. The third case study examines the possibility of introducing the BIG in South Africa and considers the arguments presented by its proponents as well as its critics. The study further evaluates the different options which could be utilised to finance the implementation of the basic income grant. The potential impact of the grant is scrutinised, and specific attention is focused on its possible social and economic impact. The impact of the current government anti-poverty programmes to alleviate income, asset and human capital poverty is considered briefly. The study concludes that the current social security programmes are reasonable as a supplement to the anti-poverty initiatives; however because of the continuing inequality in our country it also accepts that the social security system needs to be improved in order to close the existing gaps. Copyright / Dissertation (MAdmin)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA) / unrestricted

<p>Namibia is one of the most unequal countries in the world and has high rates of poverty. In the thesis the proposal for a basic income grant as a strategy for poverty alleviation in Namibia is analyzed. The study is based on six interviews with the Basic Income Grant Coalition in Namibia and their four publications. The theoretical and methodological framework is Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis and social theory of discourse. Conceptions about the economical and political situation of Namibia in relation to inequality are discussed, as well as the image of the desired citizen in neo-liberal societies. Poverty is conceptualized as a trap where the BIG is regarded as a way out from poverty to a situation of confidence, engagement and economic activity. Contemporary classifications and means testing for social grants are problematized as inefficient and discriminative. The BIG is regarded as right in the context of the big inequalities in Namibia. It is suggested that the BIG Coalition with the proposal for the grant also offers alternative conceptions about Namibia and about the possibilities for change in the situation of poverty.</p>

Namibia is one of the most unequal countries in the world and has high rates of poverty. In the thesis the proposal for a basic income grant as a strategy for poverty alleviation in Namibia is analyzed. The study is based on six interviews with the Basic Income Grant Coalition in Namibia and their four publications. The theoretical and methodological framework is Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis and social theory of discourse. Conceptions about the economical and political situation of Namibia in relation to inequality are discussed, as well as the image of the desired citizen in neo-liberal societies. Poverty is conceptualized as a trap where the BIG is regarded as a way out from poverty to a situation of confidence, engagement and economic activity. Contemporary classifications and means testing for social grants are problematized as inefficient and discriminative. The BIG is regarded as right in the context of the big inequalities in Namibia. It is suggested that the BIG Coalition with the proposal for the grant also offers alternative conceptions about Namibia and about the possibilities for change in the situation of poverty.

De la capacité d’une société à repenser ses liens sociaux, dépend son développement à la fois politique, social et économique. L’État peut, pour contribuer de manière déterminante à la production de sens, développer des outils, entre autres des mécanismes de redistribution, susceptibles d’assurer la solidarité et la cohésion sociale. L’enjeu est d’importance pour certains pays comme la Namibie, dont l'histoire est marquée par le colonialisme et l'apartheid ─desquels il s'est libéré il y a à peine plus de vingt ans─ et qui sont construits sur une logique de séparation inégalitaire des droits et des ressources. À partir de l'exemple du Basic Income Grant (BIG), projet-pilote de revenu citoyen garanti mis en place dans un village de la Namibie entre 2007 et 2009, ce mémoire propose d'explorer l'apport du concept d'empowerment dans ce projet en tant qu'outil de déconstruction de ces structures inégalitaires. Après avoir exposé différentes conceptions des notions de pauvreté, de richesse et de développement, nous aborderons la question du revenu citoyen garanti et de la place qu'il peut prendre dans différents systèmes de protection sociale. Puis, nous tenterons de mieux cerner le concept d'empowerment pour finalement arriver à répondre à notre principal questionnement: le projet BIG permet-il effectivement l'émancipation ou au contraire, fait-il en sorte de renforcer le sentiment de dépendance et d'impuissance vécu par la communauté isolée, vivant dans des conditions d'extrême précarité? Des entrevues ont pour ce faire été conduites auprès de 15 participants, soit des membres du village d'Otjivero, des intervenants engagés dans le regroupement d'acteurs de la société civile namibienne étant à la source de l'initiative, et des représentants gouvernementaux. L’analyse de ces résultats est présentée en dernière partie de travail. / The political, social and economic development of a society depends on its ability to rethink its social ties. To contribute significantly to the production of meaning, the State may develop tools, among which redistribution mechanisms, capable of ensuring solidarity and social cohesion. The challenge may be greater for some countries − such as Namibia, whose history is marked by colonialism and the period of apartheid, which it freed itself of about twenty years ago − that are built around a logic of unequal separation of rights and resources. Based on our study of the implementation of the Basic Income Grant (BIG) pilot project in a Namibian village between 2007 and 2009, this paper proposes to explore the contribution of the concept of empowerment, within a basic guaranteed income project, as a tool for deconstructing these unequal structures. After describing different views of poverty, wealth and development, we will address the issue of basic guaranteed income and the role it can play in different social protection systems. Then we will try to better understand the concept of empowerment before finally focusing on our central question: does the BIG project actually enable emancipation or, conversely, does it strengthen the feelings of dependency and powerlessness experienced by the small isolated community living in extremely precarious conditions? To find an answer to this question, interviews have been conducted with 15 participants: members of the small community of Otjivero, Namibian stakeholders involved in the initiative from the beginning; and representatives from the government. Analyses of these results are presented in the final part of the paper.

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Thesis(LLM.) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / Ravaged by the socio-economic ills of poverty, income inequality and unemployment, South Africa entrenched the constitutional right to access social assistance for everyone unable to support themselves and their dependents under section 27(1)(c). The state is obliged to create a comprehensive social security system, to ensure that all who need social assistance access it. But not all poor and deserving people access social assistance. The study found that underlying the obligation to improve the quality of life for all is the fundamental normative commitment to access social assistance. In 2002, the Taylor Committee recommended, inter alia, that the state implements a Basic Income Grant (hereafter the ‘BIG’) as part of its comprehensive social security project. The study thus examines the legal feasibility of the BIG to provide social income support to eliminate widespread socio-economic ills, for all in South Africa. The study makes use of a desktop qualitative methodology garnered four-folded objectives. The relevant revelations were as follows: First, the study found that international and regional frameworks do not directly guarantee poor able-bodied working-age adults any social income support. Second, the study found that little jurisprudence interprets the right to social assistance, let alone a BIG. But a general body of socio-economic judgments developed over the years can aid in developing the right. Third, the study found that Covid-19 resurrected the over two-decade laments for a BIG, given the R350 Covid-19 SRD grants that were since provided. It was further found that there is reasonably sufficient capacity to roll out the BIG. Finally, the study included a comparative perspective and identified the Republic of Namibia, as the right comparator. The study found that South Africa can learn from the tremendous improvements in the quality of the lives of the people of Otjievero since the Namibian BIG Pilot Project. Also, the study found that there are numerous financing avenues for the BIG. Ultimately, the study recommended the gradual implementation of a BIG, starting with those aged 18 to 59 years.