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The Citizen
06-06-2025
- The Citizen
A VIEW OF THE WEEK: We need a ceasefire in the war on children
You were once a child, but must now be a responsible adult. The theme for this year's Child Protection Week is 'working together in ending violence against children', but South Africa only came together in outrage. Child Protection Week started on 29 May and ended on Thursday, but it felt like it never really started. The intended focus on children's rights, safety, and community involvement was all overshadowed by mourning. As soon as the week began, police announced the gruesome discovery of the body of a child suspected to be that of two-year-old Kutlwano Shalaba, who went missing last November. The toddler's mother and a sangoma have both been arrested in connection with the death and face charges of murder and human trafficking. A few days later, 14-year-old Likhona Fose's mutilated body was found in an empty field in Roodeport, Gauteng. Police believe Fose was either targeted for her sexuality, making it a hate crime, or her body parts were mutilated for muthi purposes. Not far from that scene, just two days later, a young boy was shot, allegedly through the head and throat, in Westbury. The community claimed it took several hours for paramedics or police to attend to the incident. Children at risk These were just three incidents that grabbed the headlines in the seven days that Child Protection Week is commemorated. Nevermind other murders that may not have been reported, or the bullying, abuse and neglect that is a daily hell for children. Statistics show that around 1 288 children die in road accidents every year, more than 20 died of food-borne diseases in 2024, and around 140 children are known to be missing. Thousands go to school hungry each day, while thousands more do not even attend school. The problem is not only a rural one, with a recent General Household Survey finding that across SA's major urban metros, 578 000 households with children live on less than R2 500 a month. It also found that around 10% of children with special needs do not attend school, with more than 1 in 3 missing school in Mangaung and eThekwini. The government is assisting, with 54% of children attending school for free and 51% receiving social grants. ALSO READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: What were you doing at 11? Not setting fire to a school, I hope Who will protect our kids? While children's rights are enshrined in the constitution, they are too often ignored. If it takes a village to raise a child, it should be that village's responsibility to hold each other to account. There should never be abuse disguised as discipline or bullying masquerading as jokes. Children should never be neglected for convenience or left behind because they are scared to have a voice. School transport owners should not put profit before lives by cramming children on overcrowded and unroadworthy transport. It should not be that children should walk among crime hotspots to get to school, or find the school itself a hotbed of criminality. Parents, teachers, caregivers, community leaders, and children themselves should be taught the signs of abuse and recognise them when displayed. During Child Protection Week, and beyond, we must remember that we were all once children in need of help. We owe it to the rising generation to keep them safe and give them a chance in life we may have never got. NOW READ: A VIEW OF THE WEEK: It's a warzone and we are not prepared
The Citizen
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Ban on Brazil poultry imports adds to SA food insecurity
The country's agricultural sector faces setbacks from disease outbreaks and food insecurity affecting millions of households. While the year began on a positive note for South Africa's agriculture, particularly in terms of exports, this is no time for celebration, said Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa chief economist Wandile Sihlobo yesterday. 'We face serious challenges in South Africa's agriculture, the most pressing one being foot-and-mouth disease (FMD),' he said. Brazil ban disrupts South Africa's poultry supply 'Another issue we are monitoring is the impact on poultry supplies resulting from the ban on Brazil's poultry imports due to the avian influenza outbreak in that country.' In February, Statistics South Africa noted that the General Household Survey in 2019, 2022 and 2023 indicated households in South Africa continue to experience challenges related to both moderate to severe and severe food insecurity, despite the country being generally food secure at the national level. The report suggests in 2023, about 19.7% (roughly 3.7 million households) experienced moderate to severe food insecurity while about 8% (1.5 million households) experienced severe food insecurity. Sihlobo said there are ways of addressing the concerns of poultry supplies by restricting imports from affected regions, rather than the whole country, a step that Namibia has taken. Call for more targeted import restrictions and better data 'It is also in this perspective that I worry about the constant news flow that suggests South Africa will face a food crisis if we temporarily limit Brazil's poultry imports,' he said. 'It would have been much more helpful to provide regulators with valuable insights and data on imports, as well as potential opportunities for the future so that they could make informed decisions.' ALSO READ: Industry warns of meat price spike and hunger as SA faces supply crisis Sihlobo said a ban on imports was costly and may have implications for jobs in the importing businesses. 'However, this is not a permanent decision and regulators continually assess issues, taking into account the impact of their decisions on the value chain,' he said. 'What we should help them with is valuable data to aid their choices. This is not the time for the economics of Chicken Little. We need poultry imports. South Africa imports roughly 20% of its annual poultry consumption and Brazil is the major supplier – that is clear. 'However, the path now lies in navigating the issue delicately. We must also be extra cautious when outbreaks occur and allow scientists the space to make informed judgments.' Farmers raise alarm over FMD impact and vaccination costs Free state cattle farmer Tewie Wessels said he was very unhappy about the outbreak of FMD. 'What happens at the end of the day, is the farmer and the consumer will come short and take the knock,' said Wessels. A farmer, who agreed to speak anonymously, said there was more to FMD than meets the eye. The farmer said it didn't affect a small-scale farmer with 10 cattle, but large-scale farmers with 1 000 cattle. 'It's a money-making scheme because the only solution at the end of the day is to vaccinate all our cattle.' NOW READ: Will SA run out of beef and chicken? Animal disease hits SA's top producer — what it means for consumers
IOL News
05-06-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Nearly one in five South Africans lack access to safe sanitation, KwaZulu-Natal households still struggle to fetch water
More than one-third (35,8%) of households in KwaZulu-Natal without piped water in their dwellings or on site took more than 30 minutes to fetch water. Image: Oupa Mokoena Independent Newspapers KwaZulu-Natal continues to face significant challenges in providing basic water and sanitation services to its residents, with new data revealing that many households still spend over 30 minutes fetching drinking water. In addition, nearly one in five South Africans still share sanitation facilities. This is according to the 2024 General Household Survey (GHS) released by Statistics South Africa. The survey found that 35.8% of households in KZN without piped water in their dwellings or on site took more than 30 minutes to fetch water, highlighting ongoing difficulties with access in the province. While 83.3% of households in KZN had access to at least a basic level of drinking water, this is still lower than national leaders such as the Western Cape (99.8%) and Gauteng (99.6%). The GHS also showed that provinces like KZN, Limpopo (86.4%) and the Eastern Cape (87.8%) recorded the highest reliance on surface water, a key indicator of limited or unsafe access. The report distinguishes between levels of water access using what the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) calls the 'water ladder.' The highest level is 'safely managed' water available on premises, when needed, and free of harmful contamination. Basic water requires a collection time of less than 30 minutes; anything longer is considered 'limited.' Nationally, more than two-thirds (67.8%) of households that fetch their water do so in under 30 minutes, but 5% spend over an hour, underscoring the severity of the issue in specific communities, especially in rural areas. The situation is further complicated by sanitation challenges. The survey shows that only 76.3% of South Africans had access to safely managed sanitation services in 2024, those that are improved, not shared, and where waste is treated. Despite being a more urbanised province, Gauteng had the lowest access to safely managed sanitation at 66.1%, while the Eastern Cape (85.3%), Mpumalanga (84.7%), and the Northern Cape (84.4%) topped the list. Nationally, 19.9% of South Africans shared sanitation facilities, but this figure was much higher in urban areas (31.9%) compared to rural areas (13.2%). Urban informal settlements often lack the infrastructure for private toilets, and multiple households are forced to share, creating hygiene and dignity concerns. Interestingly, rural areas surpassed urban areas in access to safely managed sanitation, with 79.6% compared to 74.6%, largely due to space availability for household-level improved facilities, even if they are basic. The GHS explains that, under Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, a sanitation service is only considered safely managed if it is improved, not shared, and waste is properly treated, either on-site, via off-site treatment after collection, or through a sewer system. Only 46.2% of households nationally had sanitation facilities inside their homes, while 3.1% relied on facilities outside their yards. These figures reflect the ongoing infrastructure gaps, particularly in under-resourced or overcrowded areas. THE MERCURY
Eyewitness News
30-05-2025
- Business
- Eyewitness News
Human rights organisation, COSATU and economists debate future of social grants
South Africa's economy is not creating enough jobs, so what happens to the millions of people who currently rely on social grants? This was the question raised by activists, economists and labour leaders at a panel discussion hosted by the Black Sash in Cape Town on Wednesday. The event was part of the organisation's 70th anniversary celebrations, and looked at the impact of removing social assistance in a country with high youth unemployment, food insecurity and growing inequality. The General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on Tuesday, shows that the proportion of people receiving social grants grew from about 13% in 2003 to 31% in 2019 and surged to 40% in 2024 'due to the introduction of the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant'. Rachel Bukasa, Executive Director of Black Sash, said social grants are not a luxury, but a necessary response to high unemployment and poverty. 'Grants are an important stop-gap to the poverty and unemployment that exists. One of the biggest misconceptions when we talk about grants is that we don't want people to work. When we call for grants, it's in the absence of the jobs that the government has promised year after year.' She said while job creation remains the goal, the economy doesn't offer enough work for those who need it. Bukasa dismissed claims that grants breed dependency, saying they are a vital safety net while the government works to improve the job market. COSATU's Tony Ehrenreich agreed with Bukasa. He said the alternative to social support from the state is people falling into hunger and desperation. 'Grants are only a requirement when the market has failed. If the market is perfect there will be no need for grants, but the market is not perfect so we need to take care of people in the interim … It's not a question of jobs or grants. It's both,' Ehrenreich said. StatsSA reported that the official unemployment rate stood at about 33% in the first quarter of 2025. The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job seekers, is 43%. Ehrenreich said these statistics show the current economic direction is not working. 'We can say the system has failed if we look at the unemployment rate and deepening inequality … Must poor people pay for the failure of the rich and the public policymakers who drive around in their fancy cars? That can't be the response.' But political economist Phumlani Majozi said the current grant system is putting too much pressure on the country's fiscus. 'South Africans agree that the best way to move forward as a society is for people to have jobs … In our budget, the social grant expenditure is massive. 65% of our expenditure goes towards social grants, subsidised housing etc … Fiscally, it's not something that is manageable.' He criticised the lack of government vision. 'Where is the plan from the president and his cabinet to say by a certain year these are the targets … It doesn't seem like Enoch Godongwana has a plan.' Majozi said the system discouraged reform. 'There will be no incentive for government to change and pursue policies to encourage economic growth if our first argument is that we need social grants.' To which Bukasa responded that social security is a right, not a favour. 'Social assistance is protected by the Constitution. So we need to do away with the notion that it's a favour the government is doing … The fact that we have high needs for social protection right now is a reflection of governments inability to deliver on job creation.' This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
IOL News
29-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Straining to support: South Africa's social grants are vital but can the state keep up?
Economic challenges and the future of social grants in South Africa Image: Tracy Adams Social relief of distress, or social grants, is a key part of South Africa's welfare system; however, recent data indicates that its role is increasingly strained, raising concerns about sustainability, economic growth, and social cohesion. According to the latest General Household Survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), an unprecedented 40.1% of the population - approximately 25.4 million individuals-now rely on social grants. This marks a significant increase from previous years and reflects a steady rise in dependence, particularly amid persistent unemployment and economic challenges. Risenga Maluleke, Statistician-General of South Africa, noted that the country's official unemployment rate hit 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025. Such figures highlight the stark depth of economic hardship many face, with social grants serving as a vital safety net without sufficient employment opportunities. Paul Maritz, Director at Free SA, a foundation advocating for rights, equality, and systemic reform, highlighted the gravity of this dependence. 'The growing reliance on social grants - now affecting over 25 million people — highlights deep socio-economic challenges and the urgent need for structural change,' he explained. 'Our proposed Power to the People Amendment aims to address these issues by reducing waste, devolving policing, and breaking monopolies that hinder economic opportunity.' Maritz warned that 'sustained dependence on grants without parallel investment in job creation risks entrenching a welfare economy that stifles individual potential and hampers long-term growth.' He warned that if current trends persist, South Africa's economy could face stagnation, shrinking tax bases, and rising inequality-all threatening social stability. The fiscal burden of social grants is significant. In 2011, the South African government allocated around 3.5% of GDP to social assistance, which has grown over the years. The Centre for Global Development estimated that expenditure on social grants, particularly the Child Support Grant (CSG), reached nearly ZAR31 billion (approximately US$4.2 billion) in 2010-11. Instead, they argued that they serve as a necessary-but insufficient-measure to support those unable to provide for themselves. "While grants have helped improve food security, children's well-being, and school attendance,' Maritz warned that they are not a long-term solution to poverty. 'Overdependence can distort labor markets. When social assistance becomes a substitute for employment, it can disincentivize active job-seeking and skills development. 'Countries with more developed economies often implement prerequisites or conditions tied to grants, encouraging recipients to pursue upskilling or community participation.' He added that the current approach risks creating a stagnating workforce and reducing overall productivity in South Africa, thereby hindering economic growth and perpetuating inequality. 'Ironically, the system designed to reduce inequality may inadvertently reinforce it if not paired with empowerment strategies. 'Without access to meaningful employment, quality education, and secure communities, social mobility remains elusive for many beneficiaries.' Furthermore, dependence on grants without addressing the root causes-unemployment, corruption, and inefficient public services-could erode trust in institutions. Maritz warned that 'a society where millions feel trapped and unheard is inherently unstable,' stressing the need for comprehensive reforms.
