The Democratic Alliance (DA) is to launch a national campaign on Sunday calling for all poor South Africans to have access to a basic income grant.
DA representative Nick Clelland-Stokes told journalists in Cape Town this was one of three campaigns the party would undertake in the build-up to the 2004 general election.
The proposal was for all persons that earned less than R7 500 a year and did not receive another state grant, to receive R110 a month.
Further details — including how the party expects the grant to be funded — would be unveiled in a policy document, to be released by DA leader Tony Leon at a rally in Atteridgeville, Pretoria on Sunday, he said.
The campaign will run until the end of November and will involve all DA public representatives, as well the display of 28 000 posters and distribution of 400 000 pamphlets in ten languages.
Clelland-Stokes said this was strictly a DA campaign and its representatives would not be working with other organisations — such as the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) and civil society bodies — that were appealing for a similar grant.
”There are distinct differences to the approaches… we are taking this very seriously and have done a lot of work (on the campaign).”
He also pointed out that the party’s former finance representative, Ken Andrew, had mooted the idea first, about three years ago.
The Basic Income Grant (BIG) Coalition — which includes Cosatu, the Treatment Action Campaign, the SA Council of Churches, the SA NGO Coalition (Sangoco), and the SA Catholic Bishops Conference — want all South Africans to receive R100 a month. – Sapa