Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face dire consequences

The Southern African Yearly Meeting of the Quakers calls for the South African government to implement an unconditional universal basic income (UBI) for all citizens and legal residents. The authors argue that South Africa's high unemployment and poverty have created a 'tinderbox' of social instability, and that a UBI—set at least at the upper-bound poverty line—would provide dignity, stimulate local economies, and reduce crime. They contrast UBI with means-tested social grants, noting that universality removes bureaucratic inefficiency and stigma. The document cites a 2008 pilot in Namibia as evidence of UBI's ability to improve health, education, and entrepreneurship. Proposed funding sources include taxes on carbon emissions, wealth, and resource rents, alongside reducing wasteful public expenditure.

• South Africa is facing a social and economic emergency characterized by high unemployment, inequality, and poverty, which the authors describe as a 'tinderbox' that risks further instability similar to the July 2021 Durban riots.
• The Quakers advocate for a universal basic income (UBI) that is unconditional and provided to all people legally in the country regardless of age, gender, or income, proposing it be set at least at the upper-bound poverty line.
• A UBI is preferred over traditional social grants because it preserves dignity by avoiding the humiliation of proving poverty and eliminates the costly, inefficient bureaucracy and potential corruption associated with means-testing.
• Evidence from the 2008 Basic Income Grant (BIG) Pilot Campaign in Otjivero, Namibia, demonstrates that such payments can reduce child malnutrition, lower school dropout rates from nearly 40% to 5% in seven months, and decrease crime rates by 42%.
• Potential financing for a UBI in South Africa could include taxes on carbon emissions, wealth, dividends, and resource rents, as well as the abolition of certain tax credits for high earners and the reduction of wasteful public sector spending.

APA

Mthembu-Salter, G., & Nyakuwanikwa, B. (2023). Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face dire consequences. Institute for Economic Justice. https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/quakers-urge-government-to-implement-a-universal-basic-income-or-face-dire-consequences/

Chicago

Mthembu-Salter, Gregory, and Benonia Nyakuwanikwa. Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face dire consequences. Institute for Economic Justice, 2023. https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/quakers-urge-government-to-implement-a-universal-basic-income-or-face-dire-consequences/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Mthembu-Salter |first1=Gregory |last2=Nyakuwanikwa |first2=Benonia |title=Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face dire consequences |publisher=Institute for Economic Justice |date=3 May 2023 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/quakers-urge-government-to-implement-a-universal-basic-income-or-face-dire-consequences/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{mthembusalter2023quakers, author = {Mthembu-Salter, Gregory and Nyakuwanikwa, Benonia}, title = {{Quakers urge government to implement a universal basic income or face dire consequences}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/in-the-media/quakers-urge-government-to-implement-a-universal-basic-income-or-face-dire-consequences/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }