SA’s politics blamed for poverty challenges

POVERTY and inequality in South Africa could be alleviated – although the stumbling block in that regard was not policies, but politics.

These were the parting shots by Professor Peter Alexander of the University of Johannesburg on a panel at the Science Forum South Africa, which ended yesterday at the CSIR International Convention Centre.

The point of departure of panellists was that little progress had been made in terms of poverty reduction since 1994.

According to the academic, the top-down approach of the government had been problematic in the country, and had, for instance, led to the implementation of the problematic e-tolling Gauteng highways.

He said the struggle by students for the scrapping of university fees was winnable and could be achieved by having the rich share their wealth with the have-nots.

“It is terrible that there has been little progress made after apartheid,” he said.

Alexander said the topic of nationalisation should not be avoided, given that it was on agenda of the third largest political party in the country, the EFF.

He, however, quipped that nationalisation failed to produce desirable results anywhere else in the world.

Professor Jimi Adesina of Unisa said poverty was extremely high for an uppermiddle country such as South Africa.

To address the problem of poverty and inequality, he proposed employment with adequate wages, and for government to widen the tax base and eliminate illicit financial flows out of the country.

Professor Murray Leibbrandt of UCT said: “We have not done well in terms of halving poverty other than the provision of social grants,” citing an increase in people receiving grants from 21 997 in 1996 to 16 billion this year.

Director for Institute for Food, Nutrition and Wellbeing at Pretoria University, Professor Sheryl Hendriks, pointed to the issue of food security.

“Contrary to the strides made in reducing poverty and hunger in the country post 1994, the average nutritional status of children is deteriorating,” she said, adding that 13.1 percent of households reported experiencing hunger last year.

She proposed strong leadership, co-ordination and accountability in the government.