Our Demands need to be met

These are some of our demands:

 Implement the basic income grant of R1500: We call on President Ramaphosa to implement a Basic Income Grant of R1500 per month for all unemployed between the ages of 18-59, including caregivers, home-based workers and precarious workers who earn below the national minimum wage. This will bring much-needed relief to millions of South Africans who are languishing in poverty.

Affordable Housing: The Covid_19 pandemic has exposed the failures of the so-called people’s government in providing decent shelter for the citizens. A number of people found themselves homeless during the national lockdown after losing their jobs and could no longer afford to pay rent. While the government did put a moratorium on evictions during the lockdown, most landlords continued to put tenants out illegally. Major cities are facing a high number of homelessness and instead of adopting a strategy that prioritizes giving people housing, municipalities like the City of Cape Town have opted to criminalize homeless people. The government needs to understand that ignoring homelessness won't make it go away.

Free Education for all: The struggle for free education speaks to the socio-political and economic state of the nation. Section 29(1)(b) of the Constitution states that “everyone has the right to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively and accessible”. We support the #FeesMustFall movement and reject the proposal by Higher education and training minister Blade Nzimande to convert the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to a loan. South African youth is already drowning in student debt. We cannot commodify education.

We demand decent and sustainable jobs: We call on the government supported by all roleplayers including the private sector to deliver on its promise of addressing joblessness by creating decent and sustainable employment. We demand an end to labour brokering and casualisation of workers. EPWP workers must be insourced and given the benefits afforded to permanent workers. 28 years into our democracy, South Africa has the highest youth unemployment rate in the world, with over 50% of young people who are struggling to find employment. Due to this, most young people are excluded from enjoying the fruits of our democracy.

Tax the rich: We call on the government to tax the rich who have become even richer during the pandemic in order to address the deep inequalities our country is grappling with. Studies have shown that implementing a wealth tax of between 3% and 7% on the wealthiest individuals in the country could raise more than R140 billion each year.

No to the privatization of Eskom: We are against the unbundling of Eskom. The government should invest in transforming Eskom into a fully public renewable energy utility. Keep Eskom fully public to provide Renewable Energy as a public good and not for the profit-driven scheme. We have seen the results of market-driven Renewable Energy in Europe which led to job losses and rising energy prices for consumers. Government must start a planned localisation of Renewables and increase import tariffs urgently.

Implement the State Capture Commission recommendations: We will join other social movements and civil society organisations in playing an oversight role to ensure that the State Capture Commission recommendations are implemented accordingly. All those who are implicated in the state capture must be held to account.

Climate Crisis: We call on the government to act on the climate crisis to save our planet. The government must put in place proper resource disaster management plans as we are already experiencing extreme weather conditions throughout the country. South Africans must unite and take a stand against climate injustice.

We call on the government to reject the R11.4 billion World Bank loan: As a country, we are already struggling to service our current debt, accepting this loan puts the nation at risk of losing its sovereignty. We must not sit back while the government is selling our sovereignty to the highest bidder. It is a fallacy that this loan comes with no conditions. The Alternative Information and Development Centre debunked five myths about the World Bank Loan.

 

President Ramaphosa needs to understand that we are tired of hearing the same rhetoric without seeing any positive results. It is criminal that so many millions have been looted from the public purse while millions of South Africans are subjected to poverty, joblessness and inequality.

#OurPotsAndPansAreEmpty

#OurStateIsInShambles

#Sidikiwe