LISTEN: Govt can afford basic income grant, says Vavi
General secretary of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) Zwelinizima Vavi says South Africa is not a poor country.
Vavi was reacting to the extension of the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant to March 2023. The question now is whether it will be replaced by a permanent basic income grant.
“Saftu continues to argue that SA is not a poor country. We are rated number 6 in terms of wealth by the IMF,” says Vavi.
“The only problem we have is that that wealth is monoplised by the 10% of the population, that owns over 90% of that wealth.”
Vavi says a basic grant would be possible if the wealthy 10% play their part.
“We certainly can afford to paying a basic income grant of R1500 without any further delay.
“And we are dismayed that the elite and poor continue to ask the stupid question as to how could government afford to pay that, when the rich are holding R1.4 trillion investable cash that could make all of the difference to get the 12.5 million people unemployed into employment.”
LISTEN TO VAVI BELOW:
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