Recognising that:

• More than half of all South Africans live in poverty;
• South Africa’s Constitution guarantees everyone’s right of access to social security, including appropriate social assistance;
• South Africa has signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration, which expresses a shared global commitment to halving poverty by the year 2015;
• The patchwork of social grants inherited from the apartheid era leaves millions with no coverage and is therefore incapable of eradicating poverty;
• The 1997 White Paper on Social Welfare articulated the government’s commitment to ensuring that "all South Africans have a minimum income, sufficient to meet basic subsistence needs, and should not have to live below minimum acceptable standards";
• Administrative procedures associated with means testing frequently prevent the poorest from accessing social assistance;
• The government-appointed Committee of Inquiry into a Comprehensive System of Social Security for South Africa concluded that a universal income support grant would be the most effective and affordable strategy to address income poverty;
• Cabinet decided at its July lekgotla to defer a final decision on the Committee of Inquiry’s recommendations until January.

The National Executive Committee of the South African Council of Churches therefore:

• Reaffirms the call of the 2001 SACC Triennial National Conference for the introduction of a universal Basic Income Grant of not less than R100 per month;
• Commends the work of the Committee of Inquiry;
• Applauds the proposed extension of the Child Support Grant and sees this as consistent with the Committee of Inquiry’s proposal for the phased implementation of a universal income support grant;
• Urges government to establish a broadly consultative mechanism to identify and address unresolved issues associated with the implementation of a basic income grant;
• Directs that the SACC’s annual Christmas Campaign be focused on educating South Africans about the Basic Income Grant and its capacity to overcome poverty, promote human dignity and stimulate broad-based economic growth;
• Authorises the SACC to develop and produce, in consultation with partner organisations in the national Basic Income Grant Coalition, posters, leaflets and other relevant educational and liturgical materials; and
• Calls on member churches and provincial councils to assist in the distribution of these resources and to encourage and support the SACC’s information and advocacy efforts.

Adopted by the
National Executive Committee
South African Council of Churches

Bonaero Park
3 October 2002