GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron believes government has “no choice” but to implement a Basic Income Grant (BIG), following the release of the latest official unemployment rate.

While the quarterly unemployment rate fell slightly from 32.1% in the July to September period, to 31.9% between October and December, the GOOD Party says South Africa is stuck in an economic growth crisis that is trapping millions of South Africans in unemployment and unacceptable high levels of poverty.

“Unless the country can achieve a sustained economic growth rate of 5%, South Africa will not be able to meaningfully reduce unemployment anytime soon,” Herron said.

The GOOD Party noted that all 10 parties in the Government of National Unity (GNU) agreed to create a more just society by “tackling poverty, spatial inequalities and providing a social safety net”.

“By the State’s own reckoning, the amount of money needed to feed an adult South African, known as the food poverty line, is R796 a month. With the lower-bound poverty line sitting at R1 109 per month, this allows for the purchasing of some essentials and food,” he said.

Herron said now was the time to implement a BIG of at least R1 000 a month, which was above the food poverty line and below the lower-bound poverty line, for which the GOOD Party had been advocating for some time.

“Addressing the basic needs and dignity of the millions who are excluded from the economy is not charity; it is about being fair and just, and it’s a necessity for the nation’s stability,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) wants government to accelerate economic reforms driving job creation in the country, noting the 0.2 percentage point decrease in the unemployment rate from the previous quarter.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will present the GNU’s first annual Budget, with DA spokesperson on Employment and Labour Michael Bagraim saying this was a decisive opportunity to implement bold reforms that positioned the country for sustained economic growth.

The DA’s expectations for the Budget focus on driving economic growth and stabilising national finances.

DISASTROUS TRAJECTORY

ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said the “hard truth” was that the GNU had done nothing to change the “disastrous trajectory set by the African National Congress (ANC)” despite claims to the contrary.

“…instead, it has merely extended the same failed policies that continue to cripple our economy.

“If opposition parties within the GNU feel powerless and co-opted, ActionSA invites them to join us in holding this government accountable. South Africans deserve real solutions, not more empty promises and the continuation along a well-worn path of failed policies and inept implementation,” said Beesley.

He highlighted that Godongwana’s Budget must reflect a genuine plan to get the country’s unemployed citizens back to work.

He explained that a lack of funding was not a problem in the country, as across all spheres of government, “billions are wasted and looted”.

“…even within the Cabinet, Ministers who have failed in other spheres of government—or have been implicated in corruption and had judgments against them—remain protected without consequence. If the Finance Minister fails to act decisively against fraud, corruption, and maladministration – ensuring that those accused of looting face prosecution, prison, and repayment of ill-gotten gains – South Africans can expect yet another four years of economic decline, empty commitments, and worsening joblessness,” he said.