ANC must ensure a basic income grant is universal and unconditional
Basic income is more than poverty alleviation — it is supposed to act as an economic stimulus
I don’t want to be a party pooper, but the ANC is not planning to introduce a basic income grant (Big). A targeted, means-tested, poverty alleviation grant with a low financial value is the very essence of what a Big is not. Financed through workers’ pockets in the form of increased taxes or cuts to service delivery budgets, its introduction will be socioeconomic suicide for the country.
While understandable, uncritical support of this initiative is dangerous and politically naive. What we need now are new, caring, competent leaders and bold new socioeconomic policy, not crumbs from what can best be described as a malevolent cabal. A basic income as part of a package of policies could be a game-changer for SA, but then we have to go about it in the right way...
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