The state isn’t pulling its weight!

SAFTU criticizes the South African state's COVID-19 response as 'tokenistic,' arguing that the R12 billion stimulus (0.23% of GDP) is inadequate compared to global responses. The statement calls for emergency taxation of the rich, a Basic Income Grant, and the appropriation of private facilities for public use. It warns that a security-focused lockdown without adequate income security for informal and unemployed workers could lead to political catastrophe.

• SAFTU characterizes the South African government's financial commitment to the COVID-19 crisis as 'tokenism,' noting that the R12 billion provided represents only 0.23% of the country's GDP.
• The document contrasts South Africa's stimulus with other nations, stating that if South Africa matched the UK's 16.3% GDP stimulus, it would equal R830 billion, or R434 billion if it matched the US.
• The state's current relief measures are criticized for excluding millions, specifically the 10.5 million officially unemployed and those in the survivalist informal economy, such as waste pickers and street vendors.
• SAFTU identifies severe financial instability caused by illicit financial flows, estimating between $10-25 billion (R178-R445 billion) leaving South Africa annually, which the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and Treasury have failed to stop.
• The document proposes a 'Programme of Action' that includes a moratorium on retrenchments, the banning of evictions, and the appropriation of private health and production facilities for public use to ensure the distribution of essential goods.
• The statement warns that combining a 'militarist lockdown' with insufficient financial support and a heavy police/military presence could trigger a political catastrophe similar to the events on the platinum belt seven and a half years prior.
• SAFTU argues that the pandemic has exposed the failures of capitalism, specifically citing the removal of resources from 85% of society too poor for medical aids and the continued impact of greenhouse gas emissions.

APA

Public Affairs Research Institute (2020). The state isn’t pulling its weight! https://pari.org.za/saftu-says-the-state-isnt-pulling-its-weight/

Chicago

Public Affairs Research Institute. The state isn’t pulling its weight! 2020. https://pari.org.za/saftu-says-the-state-isnt-pulling-its-weight/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Public Affairs Research Institute |title=The state isn’t pulling its weight! |date=25 March 2020 |url=https://pari.org.za/saftu-says-the-state-isnt-pulling-its-weight/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{publicaffairsresearchinstitute2020state, author = {{Public Affairs Research Institute}}, title = {{The state isn’t pulling its weight!}}, publisher = {Public Affairs Research Institute}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://pari.org.za/saftu-says-the-state-isnt-pulling-its-weight/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }