South Africa’s anti poverty policies date back to 1994 as part and parcel of the Reconstruction and Development programme under the new democratic government Surrender, R, Ntshongwana, P (2007). The then anti poverty policies sought to harness the imbalances that were prevalent during the apartheid era, however, the economic strategy “GEAR” that was adopted in 1996 fundamentally contradicted with the government’s policies on poverty reduction because the GEAR strategy emphasised on an acute reduction in public spending. Reduction in public spending would result in the increase of poverty. Hassen. E.K. (2005).
In an effort to alleviate poverty, the new South African government awarded grants to the elderly (Pension Grant) and children (Child support Grant) Surrender, R, Ntshongwana, P (2007), which are tailored to cushion the severity of poverty, ironically, “the grant is used as income for the entire family” Hassen, E. K (2005) The implementation of such a strategy addresses poverty in selected demographics while ignoring poverty in the bigger and more productive population of the country. Lately, churches and civic groups have been campaigning for a basic means tested income that all South Africans would benefit from irrespective of gender, age or race as long as they are unemployed.
It is evident that the majority of the people living below the poverty datum line in South Africa at the end of apartheid were mainly the non-whites, hence the infrastructure that was implemented to alleviate poverty did not address across the whole racial spectrum. This is evidenced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report in 2002 that showed the statistical change of poverty in Africa based on race. The diagram shows reduction of poverty by 6% and 2% in Africans and Coloured populations respectively. However, during the same period, there was a sharp increase in poverty in the White and Indian population. Poverty in the White community grew by more than 400% from 1.5% to 6.9% and almost doubled in the Indian population from 8.3% to 14.7%.
In as mush as poverty amongst white South Africans has quadrupled, there are 4.3 million white people, 4.2 million Coloureds, 1.2 million Asians and 38 million black people therefore the ,
Remotely, the statistics reflect that the poverty alleviation strategies have been successful in some races and a disaster in others. In an effort to alleviate poverty, the ANC embraced the Black Economic Empowerment programme (De Klerk, F. W 2005), which has however augmented poverty in the white population due BEE’s exclusionary concept based on race. The BEE gives preference of economic empowerment (Jobs, Government tenders, education etc) to the black majority. (De Klerk, F. W 2005).
The anti poverty policies have been a success in at least awarding grants to certain categories of people as discussed before, but, the inadequacies of the policy are reflected in the continuous rise of criminal incidents in South Africa. In a report on Crime and Inequalities in South Africa, Demombynes and Ozler (2002) argue that, “some economic and sociological theories of crime suggest that there may be a positive relationship between poverty and crime levels”, hence the shortcomings in the anti poverty policy in South Africa have somehow contributed to the increase of crime in the country. The South African vice president expressed similar sentiments on poverty in relationship to crime “It is essential to alleviate poverty and unemployment to help cut crime” Mlambo-Ngcuka, P (2007).
The other factor that has impinged on the success of the poverty alleviation policy in South Africa is the AIDS/HIV pandemic. The plague has affected mainly the economically active population hence in
References
De Klerk, F. W (2005) Business Report: Black Economic Empowerment in South Africa. Plattekloof, De Klerk Foundation
Accessed 19.11.2007
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Mulholland, R (1997) South Africa 1948 – 1994: Apartheid in Practice. Cambridge University Press
