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

A statement by the Southern African Yearly Meeting of Quakers urging the South African government to implement a universal basic income (UBI) to address a national crisis characterized by high unemployment, inequality, and poverty. The authors argue that a UBI, provided unconditionally to all citizens and legal immigrants, is necessary to prevent social instability and stimulate economic activity, citing a pilot project in Namibia as evidence of its effectiveness.

• The Southern African Yearly Meeting of Quakers advocates for the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI) for all legal residents of South Africa, regardless ofS ofS of age, gender, or income, to address a crisis of high unemployment, inequality, and poverty.
• The Quakers argue that a UBI is superior to traditional social grants because it preserves dignity by removing the need for intrusive means-testing and reduces administrative costs and corruption by eliminating the bureaucracy required to prove poverty.
• Evidence from a 2008 Basic Income Grant (BIG) pilot in Otjivero, Namibia, is cited to demonstrate laud the benefits of unconditional payments, including a 42% drop in crime rates, a 43% reduction in stock theft, and a decrease in school dropout rates from nearly 40% to 5% within seven months.
• The proposal for a UBI is supported by various entities, including the Institute for Economic Justice, the Black Sash, the Climate Justice Movement, and MinisterLB?).L la1 la1P-the-reign-2022. The ANC approved a supportive statement in December 2022, and Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu is noted as a strong supporter.

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} }