Statistics South Africa informs us that there are 10 million people in the age cohort 15-24.
They are our country’s young people. They are the next generation facing three important challenges in their lives that will impact the nation’s sustainability index.
They may or may not complete matric. They may or may not enter further education. They may or may not enter the labour market.
If they do none of the three things above, they will become part of South Africa’s abject unemployment data and a lifetime burden on the state for their livelihood – whether through grants or, tragically, imprisonment.
Currently, with a national unemployment rate of about 33%, the unemployment rate for the 15-24 age cohort is 64%, which is of the highest in the world’s industrialised societies.
Of this group, only 2.5 million are in formal unemployment, 3.2 million are in the NEETS group (not in employment, education or training but they keep applying) and 4.3 million young people have given up completely.
They will join the ranks of those who will suffer from life-long multi-dimensional poverty.
Statistics SA states that multi-dimensional poverty consists of seven key components: lack of housing, lack of access to nutrition, lack of access to health services, lack of protection over their livelihood, lack of access to information, lack of access to water and a lack of access to sanitation.
They make up the poorest of the poor in our country.
Stats SA further states that this group is part of the core group where government grants are targeted and they are also part of the core group in the National Food Poverty Line, whose monthly income is on average R624 per month.
The August 2022 Household Affordability Index published by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group reports that the current average cost of a food basket for a family of four is R4 775.49.
With the social relief of distress (SRD) grant of R350, it is clear that the grant only covers the food demands of the average family for 2.1 days.
For the rest of the month, the poorest of the poor live off the R624 average income they make from begging on the streets and the occasional generosity of the public, which will feed them for a further 4 days on average.
So the 4.3 million young people aged 15-24 who have given up completely on seeking employment live off a government grant of R350 and R624 of their own begging income.
This translates to them having funding to buy enough food for only six days out of every month. That’s the full impact of suffering from multi-dimensional poverty in South Africa.
Some of the consequences of all this data is displayed in the rise we see in gang numbers, crime, looting, burning and early death among the poor.
This is the South Africa that millions of poor people live in.
Compare this South Africa with the benefits of being a politician in this country and the picture that emerges is a nauseating one.
Our politicians have a security staff whose annual cost could feed tens of families per month. They have car, housing and other benefits that could feed hundreds of families a month.
I am not bemoaning their salaries. I am bemoaning their benefits.
It is wrong for our politicians to be living off taxpayer-funded benefits that are of the best in the world and could feed thousands more, while 7.5 million people can only afford food for 6 days out of every month.
While 1994 was our democratic transition, 2024 must be our opportunity to make a just transition.
South Africans must draw a red line across an out-of-touch political class, whose only plan is to load our country with more and more security personnel to protect themselves, but does little to break the back of the multi-dimensional poverty that the overwhelming majority of the people live with.
* Lorenzo A Davids.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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