“DESERVING” CHILDREN, “UNDESERVING” MOTHERS? MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES ON THE CHILD SUPPORT GRANT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/45-1-218Abstract
Following the change from over 350 years of colonial and apartheid rule in South Africa, thefirst democratically elected government that came into power in 1994 was faced with the
challenge of having to address vast levels of inequality and poverty. The distribution of wealth
were extremely skewed in terms of race, gender and region, with children growing up in rural,
black and female-headed households disproportionately affected by severe levels of poverty
(Cassiem, Perry, Sadan & Streak, 2000; Landman, Bhorat, Van der Berg & Van Aardt, 2003;
May, 1998; UNDP, 2004). Consequently, child mortality and levels of stunted growth in South
Africa in general and amongst this group of children in particular were unacceptably high, and
– by now constitutionally enshrined – children’s rights and basic needs were unmet for the
majority of South African children (Manuel, 2007). Poverty continues to be the biggest
challenge faced by the government: Brandon and Pather (2007) for example cite that 24 million
South Africans are living below the poverty line, half of whom are dependent on government
grants.
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Acknowledgements: The authors would like to acknowledge the following students who were
involved in the research project:
C Weir-Smith, F Al Razak, I Naicker, L Ngcobo, M Ndlovu, M Yandisa, N Chanderman,
N Masinga, N Ncwane, N P Ndaba, N P Ndaba, N Shabane, P Mncwabe, P Mnqayi, P Mpisi,
S Chinsamy, TN Nkomo
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