SOCIAL SECURITY AND HUMAN
RIGHTS: THE SOUTH AFRICAN
EXPERIENCE
Dr B Simpson, School of Social Work and
Community Development, University of
KwaZulu- Natal, Durban, South Africa
South Africa
BACKGROUND:
 Facts about South Africa
 Population:
49,99 million
 Almost one third (31,4%) are age 15
and below
 7,5% are aged 60 and above
 Racially diverse society – majority of
population are African who have
different cultural and linguistic
traditions
BACKGROUND, cont
SA has long history of colonial and
apartheid oppression of African people by
White minority
 1994: First democratic election
 1996: New constitution adopted with Bill of
Rights – intention was to ensure that
human rights were at the heart of all
legislation and that human rights abuses
would never again occur in SA

POVERTY IN SA

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Official unemployment rate: 25,3%
Unofficial unemployment rate: Approx 40%
An estimated one third of economically active
Africans are in full time employment
Most job seekers in their 20s and 30s have
never had employment – concern because
these young people are not gaining skills and
experience for the future
POVERTY IN SA, cont
 Poverty as a human rights issue:

Range of social problems associated with
unemployment – obvious effect on food
security, shelter, health but also crime,
disengagement with political processes, loss
of hope for the future

THEREFORE, imperative that we address
poverty
INEQUALITY IN SA
 Gini co-efficient: 0,578
(10th in world)
 Higher among African households than non
African households (so inequality no longer
between African and White, but between
Africans)
 Range of social problems associated with
inequality – growing alienation and anger that
poor people have not benefited from new
government
SOCIAL SECURITY AS A HUMAN
RIGHT
 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
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Art 22: right to social security
Art 25: right to security in event of
unemployment, sickness, widowhood,
disability, old age and other lack of livelihood
in circumstances beyond the control of the
individual
Also: International covenant on economic,
social and cultural rights
SOCIAL SECURITY AS A HUMAN
RIGHT
 The SA Constitution


Section 27.1 of Bill of Rights: right to social
security
Section 28 specifically guarantees the rights of
children to care and protection, including
social services
THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM
 Pre 1994: Residual welfare system

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Focus on curative services – casework with
individuals and very little community work
Tended to be based in urban areas with
neglect of rural areas
Residential care for vulnerable people
Paternalistic view of welfare (worthy and
unworthy people)
THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM, cont
 IN ADDITION: The welfare system was
discriminatory

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Apartheid enforced through wide range of
legislation
Race determined benefits and access to
services
Benefits and services were unequal
THE SA WELFARE SYSTEM, cont
 Post 1994: Developmental welfare approach
with the adoption of the White paper for
Social Welfare 1997
Rights based approach to social welfare
 Greater focus on preventive and community
based programmes, especially those that
would link people with opportunities for
income generation
 Interestingly, retained the commitment to
social security as a poverty alleviation
measure

SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA:
 New government inherited fairly well
established, albeit discriminatory system of
social security:
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1928: Old Age Pension for Whites
1944: Old Age Pensions extended to other
race groups but Whites received higher
amount
1947: Maintenance grant for single parents
Also: War veterans pension, disability grants
and foster care grants were introduced
SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA, cont
 Post 1994: SA has 6 non contributory, means
tested state grants:
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Old age pension (and War veterans
pension):R1080.00 per month (+/-100 euros)
Child support grant (which replaced
maintenance grant): R250.00 per month
Foster care grant: R710.00 per month
Disability grant: R1080.00 per month
Care dependency grant: R1080 per month
SOCIAL SECURITY IN SA, cont
 SA also has contributory social assistance
measures:

Unemployment Insurance Fund: Employed
people contribute to this fund and can claim
benefits when unemployed and women on
maternity leave can claim maternity benefits.

GAPS: There is no protection for never
employed or those unemployed for long
periods of time
SUCCESSES
 Wide coverage:
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Nearly 14 million people get social security
66% of these are getting the CSG
18% are getting the OAP
12% are getting the DG
 OAP supports entire households
SUCCESSES, cont
 CSG linked with
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Improved school attendance
Improved health in terms of growth
Children who live with mothers more likely to
be getting the grant
CHALLENGES
 Means test still excludes whole categories of
people
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Child headed households
Street children
People who are just above the threshold
Old people who own property but have low
income
People who don’t have identity documents
CHALLENGES, cont
 Unintended consequences
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HIV+ people not taking ARVs
Recipients of grants not accepting part time
work (so they are not getting experience)
Community perceptions that teens are falling
pregnant to access grant but leaving infant in
care of grandparents
Low level of support, especially CSG, keeps
people poor
CHALLENGES, cont
 Concerns about

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Sustainability: only 10% of population pay
taxes
Long term effects of ‘culture of dependency” in
terms of work seeking behaviour, sense of self
worth and emotional well being
SOME QUESTIONS??
 Is social security the best way to reduce poverty and
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inequality??
Is right to social security an “absolute” right?
If social security is not comprehensive and universal,
can it be considered a human right?
What is the role of social workers in ensuring that
those who are eligible, receive what is their “right”?
What is the role of social workers in working towards
a better society (where social security would not be
needed?)