Basic income grant will bankrupt govt, says KZN premier

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize on Thursday shrugged off suggestions of introducing a basic income grant, saying this would bankrupt government as it did not have available funds.

“It is not affordable, it’s is not something that we are considering implementing as it would bankrupt government,” he told media in Pietermaritzburg following a looting spree in Durban on Wednesday.

Ninety people from the South African Unemployed People’s Movement were arrested for looting Shoprite Checkers and Pick n Pay outlets.

Mkhize slammed the protesters’ actions as inconsistent with democratic practices. Instead, he listed activities in which income could be generated, including engaging in small business activities.

“There is no reason why if people are unemployed [they] must break the law, go and destroy property, intimidate, harass people, we condemn that,” said Mkhize.

He challenged the leadership of the protesting group to teach its members the correct way to express their grievances.

He said a basic income grant would not be implemented as government already had its hands full with a range of social support programmes such as grants for the disabled and other vulnerable groups.

“The main problem about it, basically your are saying you are giving money to everybody irrespective of what they are doing to upgrade themselves, it is a disincentive,” said Mkhize.

Mkhize said people should rather use their energy on community-building activities.

He acknowledged that it would take a while for government to address unemployment, adding that the recession also made it difficult to carry out other programmes.—Sapa