THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL WELFARE POLICIES ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN NGO PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/43-4-260Abstract
The democratic government of South Africa has adopted a developmental framework and isaspiring towards being a developmental state (Department of Social Development, 2006a:2).
However, the aspiration to become a developmental state is being seriously questioned in view of
the increasing gap between the rich and the poor over the country’s thirteen years of democracy.
Although it was expected that it would take a considerable time to eradicate the legacy of the past
(RSA, 2006:5) it is a matter of great concern that the levels of poverty and inequality are on the
increase in South Africa. Although South Africa’s neo-liberal macro-economic policy contributed
to an economic growth rate of 4,9% in 2006 (RSA, 2007a:5), the policy is criticised for not
sufficiently achieving economic development. The social welfare sector is one area in which the
macro-economic policy impacts on government’s responsibility for, and accountability to, the
vulnerable and the marginalised in society.
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