Cape Town, Tuesday 30 July 2024: On 25 July, 2024, the leaders of the South African member churches in the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC) came together in Cape Town to sign an historic pledge, declaring their support for a universal basic income guarantee (UBIG) in South Africa.
The Universal Basic Income Coalition (UBIC) welcomes this pledge, looks forward to deepening our collaboration with WCRC, and encourages all faith-based organisations in South Africa to follow suit in recognising the importance of UBIG in advancing dignity and justice in our context.
The esteemed leaders, representing the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa, the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, the Calvin Protestant Church, the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa, the Volkskerk, the Presbyterian Church of Africa, the Rhenish Church South Africa, and the Dutch Reformed Church, with support from the Anglican Church of South Africa and the Archbishop, including in his capacity as President of the South African Council of Churches, outlined their theological, ethical and practical reasons for supporting UBIG in a series of moving statements.
Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and President of the South African Council of Churches said in a prerecorded video: “A Universal Basic Income is the yardstick of the new government to achieve tangible results and to improve the lives of many millions of South Africans. A Universal Basic Income is the starting line and a prerequisite which provides a platform to kickstart equitable and sustainable development for all South Africans.”
Father Michael Lapsley, Founder of the Institute for Healing of Memories said: “The faith community needs to be at the forefront of supporting the Basic Income Grant which will enable every South African to have the basis of a decent human life.”
Dr Nioma Venter, General Secretary of the Dutch Reformed Church, said: “We need to acknowledge that this morning today, 25% of people in South Africa do not have the ability to live above the basic food line, which is ZAR760 per month. This is unthinkable, it is unbearable to think of, and it is also unacceptable.”
Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni, General Secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa said: “What UBIG says is in line with what the Shona people of Zimbabwe say. They say: “I slept if you slept – so all that UBIG tries to do is to bridge this gap so that we cannot sleep when others did not sleep because of hunger, because of starvation, it will mean everybody has something in their stomach when they go to sleep.”
The pledge signed by the WCRC leaders, calls for the “introduction of a Universal Basic Income as a guarantee (UBIG) to provide essential income support to individuals aged 18-59. The UBIG should initially be set at a minimum of R760 per person monthly, aligned with the Food Poverty Line, and adjusted over time as the economy grows.”
The document also lays out the compelling case for UBIG based on South Africa’s intersecting crises of poverty, unemployment and inequality, and points to evidence for the impact of UBIG in addressing these challenges.
The pledge is being adopted as part of the WCRC’s advocacy initiative, the Global Reformed Advocacy Platform for Engagement (GRAPE), which brings together stakeholders to advance key issues of justice and inclusion in South Africa and Kenya, in partnership with the Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI). The South African chapter of GRAPE has selected universal basic income as its priority issue.
GRAPE is a member of UBIC, and has brought dedication and leadership to our advocacy activities over the past months, helping to advance debates and policy towards realising basic income in South Africa.
UBIC is proud to partner with faith-based organisations, who represent diverse communities all over South Africa and the world; who have historically played a leading role in the advancement of social justice in our nation; and who carry a strong and deep-rooted message of solidarity, care and love for humanity, which finds expression in the call for basic income for all.
For media enquiries please contact:
Reverend Dr Bukelwa Hans | +27 82 651 5070 | stukie@iafrica.com
UBIC is comprised of the following organisations:
Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC)
Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN)
Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Global Reformed Platforms for Engagement (GRAPE )
Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ)
RightfulShare An Income Movement
Social Policy Initiative (SPI)
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