SOCIAL SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS: THE SOUTH AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

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SOCIAL SECURITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS THE SOUTH
AFRICAN EXPERIENCE

• Dr B Simpson, School of Social Work and
  Community Development, University of KwaZulu-
  Natal, Durban, South Africa

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South Africa
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BACKGROUND

• Facts about South Africa
• Population 49,99 million
• Almost one third (31,4) are age 15 and below
• 7,5 are aged 60 and above
• Racially diverse society majority of population
  are African who have different cultural and
  linguistic traditions

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BACKGROUND, cont

• SA has long history of colonial and apartheid
  oppression of African people by White minority
• 1994 First democratic election
• 1996 New constitution adopted with Bill of
  Rights intention was to ensure that human
  rights were at the heart of all legislation and
  that human rights abuses would never again occur
  in SA

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POVERTY IN SA

• Official unemployment rate 25,3
• Unofficial unemployment rate Approx 40
• An estimated one third of economically active
  Africans are in full time employment
• Most job seekers in their 20s and 30s have never
  had employment concern because these young
  people are not gaining skills and experience for
  the future

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POVERTY IN SA, cont

• Poverty as a human rights issue
• Range of social problems associated with
  unemployment obvious effect on food security,
  shelter, health but also crime, disengagement
  with political processes, loss of hope for the
  future
• THEREFORE, imperative that we address poverty

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INEQUALITY IN SA

• Gini co-efficient 0,578 (10th in world)
• Higher among African households than non African
  households (so inequality no longer between
  African and White, but between Africans)
• Range of social problems associated with
  inequality growing alienation and anger that
  poor people have not benefited from new
  government

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SOCIAL SECURITY AS A HUMAN RIGHT

• UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Art 22 right to social security
• Art 25 right to security in event of
  unemployment, sickness, widowhood, disability,
  old age and other lack of livelihood in
  circumstances beyond the control of the
  individual
• Also International covenant on economic, social
  and cultural rights

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SOCIAL SECURITY AS A HUMAN RIGHT

• The SA Constitution
• Section 27.1 of Bill of Rights right to social
  security
• Section 28 specifically guarantees the rights of
  children to care and protection, including social
  services

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THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM

• Pre 1994 Residual welfare system
• Focus on curative services casework with
  individuals and very little community work
• Tended to be based in urban areas with neglect of
  rural areas
• Residential care for vulnerable people
• Paternalistic view of welfare (worthy and
  unworthy people)

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THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM, cont

• IN ADDITION The welfare system was
  discriminatory
• Apartheid enforced through wide range of
  legislation
• Race determined benefits and access to services
• Benefits and services were unequal

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THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM, cont

• Post 1994 Developmental welfare approach with
  the adoption of the White paper for Social
  Welfare 1997
• Rights based approach to social welfare
• Greater focus on preventive and community based
  programmes, especially those that would link
  people with opportunities for income generation
• Interestingly, retained the commitment to social
  security as a poverty alleviation measure

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SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA

• New government inherited fairly well established,
  albeit discriminatory system of social security
• 1928 Old Age Pension for Whites
• 1944 Old Age Pensions extended to other race
  groups but Whites received higher amount
• 1947 Maintenance grant for single parents
• Also War veterans pension, disability grants and
  foster care grants were introduced

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SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA, cont

• Post 1994 SA has 6 non contributory, means
  tested state grants
• Old age pension (and War veterans
  pension)R1080.00 per month (/-100 euros)
• Child support grant (which replaced maintenance
  grant) R250.00 per month
• Foster care grant R710.00 per month
• Disability grant R1080.00 per month
• Care dependency grant R1080 per month

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SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA, cont

• SA also has contributory social assistance
  measures
• Unemployment Insurance Fund Employed people
  contribute to this fund and can claim benefits
  when unemployed and women on maternity leave can
  claim maternity benefits.
• GAPS There is no protection for never employed
  or those unemployed for long periods of time

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SUCCESSES

• Wide coverage
• Nearly 14 million people get social security
• 66 of these are getting the CSG
• 18 are getting the OAP
• 12 are getting the DG
• OAP supports entire households

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SUCCESSES, cont

• CSG linked with
• Improved school attendance
• Improved health in terms of growth
• Children who live with mothers more likely to be
  getting the grant

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CHALLENGES

• Means test still excludes whole categories of
  people
• Child headed households
• Street children
• People who are just above the threshold
• Old people who own property but have low income
• People who dont have identity documents

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CHALLENGES, cont

• Unintended consequences
• HIV people not taking ARVs
• Recipients of grants not accepting part time work
  (so they are not getting experience)
• Community perceptions that teens are falling
  pregnant to access grant but leaving infant in
  care of grandparents
• Low level of support, especially CSG, keeps
  people poor

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CHALLENGES, cont

• Concerns about
• Sustainability only 10 of population pay taxes
• Long term effects of culture of dependency in
  terms of work seeking behaviour, sense of self
  worth and emotional well being

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SOME QUESTIONS??

• Is social security the best way to reduce poverty
  and inequality??
• Is right to social security an absolute right?
• If social security is not comprehensive and
  universal, can it be considered a human right?
• What is the role of social workers in ensuring
  that those who are eligible, receive what is
  their right?
• What is the role of social workers in working
  towards a better society (where social security
  would not be needed?)