Towards Sustainable Household Income Security
Honourable Special Guest, Ladies and Gentlemen, and members of the Media:
Household income security is a burden for household heads as well as the SA
Government in particular. The impact of previous socio-economic
marginalisation remains in the form of high level unskilled people who can
hardly afford daily meal after over 15 years into our democracy. The
economic deprivation of majority of rural settlements and communities from
active economic participation has accumulated the current social inequality
manifesting in hungry and sick rural household without means to income
security.
Household income security is basically the ability of the head of the home’s
ability to provide basic needs per day for members of the home who are
dependent upon him/her. This could be availability and access to food,
ability for the home to pay for clean water and where necessary electricity,
and access health needs, provides education, and sense of wellbeing in
secure and decent shelter. In some cases, the household on rental shelter
should be capable to pay monthly the rent. But where household income
security is under threat is the case where the head of the home is
incapacitated or unemployed to meet the required basic needs. In other
contemporary examples, minor household heads can be placed within the state
of incapability where they are too young and lack basic income earning
skills to buy and sell, or engage in some communal productive ventures.
Though the Government has increased its Social Welfare coverage in age level
recently, it appears the increasing need for welfare from the state is
getting to a level unsustainable. This is due to low economic growth being
experienced by the state due to the deep global recession.
Whilst the situation is not at critical level yet though severely severe,
there is the need for the private sector, NPOs and traditional authorities
to contribute in finding practical means to achieve household income
security rise and the decline of poverty in households. This is one of the
key objectives that the 2012 Business Expo has been planned to empower and
educate society and encourage all and sundry to tackle the high welfare and
incomeless situation that underlies household income insecurity in the
North-Coast area.
Poverty is a situation like illness that can be tackled and treated with
right actions, awareness and resolute spirit of empowered people. The
President in his recent visits to our localities has thrown the challenge to
our communities to rise and act. The people require leadership in this
transformation pursuit, thus to work at eradicating poverty by our own
effort once we’re aware what it is as painful situation. The Expo programme
is not just a social function but a leadership function to inspire and raise
the sense of capability - to instil and inspire “Yes we can” for especially
the youth to take their destiny in their own hands by taking advantage of
available opportunities that together (the state, private sector and
traditional leadership) have provided. Goethe has said, “Knowing is not
enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough we must do”.
Thank you.
HRH Prince Africa Zulu
Of Onkweni
