Maternal support grant not implemented 10 years on

JOHANNESBURG - More than a decade after first being proposed, the Maternal Support Grant has still not been approved.
Cabinet's Social Protection Committee sent the policy back last year, noting cost and policy concerns.
According to the Grow Great Campaign, 25% of all pregnant women go to bed hungry.
Civil society says government inaction is hurting mothers and their unborn children.
Among the voices raising concern, is the Grow Great Campaign.
The campaigns Deputy Executive Director, Nicola Stofberg says the policy process have been painfully slow despite strong evidence and support.
Says some of the factors that have played a role in stalling the process is other competing grants being proposed.
'While we understand that other competing grants like the basic income grant, social relief of distress grant are all necessary, what the coalition is saying is let us prioritise vulnerable woman. This will make way of the other grants to come into place in time,' she says

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The Citizen

3 days ago

• The Citizen

Closing Israeli embassy would further jeopardise trade relations, says SA Jewish Board

Relations between Pretoria and Tel Aviv have been strained since 2018. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, said South Africa has not yet decided whether to close the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. Responding to questions in parliament on Tuesday, Lamola said the embassy remains downgraded until Cabinet reaches a decision to completely close it. 'Consultations have taken place within the relevant government cluster systems to prepare a memorandum for submission to Cabinet in accordance with the constitutional principle of the separation of powers…the authority to decide on the possible closure of the Israeli embassy in South Africa rests solely with Cabinet. 'Once the Cabinet has deliberated and reached a final decision, the Department of International Relations and Corporation will act in accordance with these directives. 'At this stage, the embassy remains downgraded,' he said. South Africa is processing the matter 'objectively' Lamola denied that there is pressure from external forces to abandon proposed plans to shut down the Israeli embassy. This follows speculation that South Africa's posture towards Israel played a role in the rocky relations between South Africa and the United States (US). 'Cabinet has to undergo its internal processes which it will be undergoing to deal with this matter, and it is being processed, and it will be processed objectively in line with The Constitution of South Africa with no external pressure to be exerted on the South African government by any forces or anyone and the South African government will act within its sovereignty to be able to take a decision informed by the facts and policies, constitution, national development plan and its own national interests,' he said. The EFF had proposed the closure of the Israeli embassy and had received the backing of the ANC. Sanctions against Israel Lamola said he could not confirm if South Africa will place economic or other sanctions against Israel. 'This is a matter that will require Cabinet to deliberate on to exert these economic sanctions or any other pressures that may need to be exerted,' he said. Lamola said he had noted some actions that have been taken against Israel by other countries. He stated that South Africa is continuing its case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). 'As honourable members are aware, we have already taken action against Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ)…the wheel is coming into full circle with all member countries of the UN either putting sanctions or exerting political pressure through political channels,' he said. Meanwhile, Lamola said the South African government still believes in a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. Tensions between these two nations have led to instability in the Middle East. 'South Africa's position with regard to the two-state solution if firmly remaining and we continue in that position. We continue to argue for a cessation of hostilities and for the Israel Defence Force (IDF) to stop its military operation in Gaza,' he said. ALSO READ: Iran launches fresh wave of attacks on Israel What is the difference between a downgraded embassy and a functional one? Lamola explained to MPs the difference between a fully functional embassy and a downgraded embassy. 'The downgraded embassy facilitates the normal process of visa and travelling of civilians between countries with no full operation of an embassy in terms of liaising political, diplomatic, and economic relations between the two countries,' he said. Lamola said he could not give clear timelines on when the Israeli embassy would be closed. However, he said he expected the Cabinet to have made a decision by the end of the year. SAJBD responds Wendy Kahn, the national director at the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), said closing the Israeli embassy would further jeopardise the mutually beneficial trade relations between the two countries. 'This could well greatly undermine the country's foreign investment prospects. Particularly at this fraught time in the Middle East, South Africa should further be helping to promote dialogue and understanding, rather than engaging in politically partisan boycott actions that do nothing to further peace prospects and are not in the interests of this country as a whole,' she said. Kahn said closing down the embassy would be unjust and discriminatory. 'Closing the Israeli embassy would be completely contrary to South Africa's own vital interests. 'We are seeing more than ever the detrimental consequences of closing the South African embassy in Israel, with many thousands of SA citizens now finding themselves stranded without recourse to consular services or any kind of assistance from their own government,' she said. NOW READ: Israel denies whispering in Trump's ear for sanctions against SA

Daily Maverick

3 days ago

• Daily Maverick

SA's new labour migration policy — critics doubt its effectiveness, say it does not strike a balance

In a new policy white paper, the government makes several far-reaching proposals to restrict the employment of foreign citizens. Critics warn that instead of protecting jobs, the policy will do damage. South Africa has finally put forward a coherent plan to manage labour migration. The White Paper on National Labour Migrant Policy, which the Cabinet approved on 29 May, marks the government's first comprehensive attempt to define who gets to work here, and under what conditions they will be allowed to do so. It arrives as the unemployment rate remained stubbornly high at 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025. In this climate, political pressure to prioritise South African jobs has grown, as evidenced by rising xenophobia and misinformation about migrant numbers, the white paper states. Immigrants made up 8.9% of employed workers in 2022, largely in sectors where local participation is low, such as construction, agriculture, logistics and informal trade. The proposed policy is trying to prioritise South African workers while acknowledging regional and sectoral reliance on foreign labour. Whether it succeeds is another matter. 'What might create South African jobs in the short term may ultimately harm the country's ability to recruit skilled workers, attract investment and promote trade,' said Professor Loren Landau, a migration researcher based at Oxford University and the University of the Witwatersrand. The policy is designed to inform proposed amendments to the Employment Services Act (ESA), with the aim of imposing stricter control on how foreign nationals are hired in South Africa. The crux of the reform is sector-specific quotas that will cap the number of foreign nationals employers can hire in certain industries and occupations once the amendments have been passed by Parliament. 'Internationally, the practice of reserving the right of occupational choice is not uncommon in democracies,' said Sashin Naidoo, employment law lawyer at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Employers will also need to prove that no suitably qualified South African was available for the job, submit a skills transfer plan and pay foreign and local workers on par. The ESA did not set out the practical requirements for these skills transfer plans, said Taryn York, senior associate employment lawyer at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. 'However, it does say the minister may make regulations setting out these requirements.' Failure to comply could result in fines of up to R100,000, a prospect that has employers on edge. 'Although a drive to increase em­­ployment of local workers is admirable, the task of skills transfer and upskilling of employees should not also be placed at the feet of the private sector,' said Jaco Swart, national manager of the National Employers' Association of South Africa. The proposed changes will introduce more uncertainty for migrant workers. Mandla Masuku, president of the Migrant Workers Union of South Africa (Miwusa), said most migrants were not in the country by choice but because of unforeseen circumstances in their home countries. 'Some have been here for many years,' Masuku said. 'They've got families, they've got properties. If they are going to be affected by these policies, it is not going to affect them alone.' He also raised concerns that migrants might not fully grasp how the policy would be enforced or what their rights would be under a new system. When quotas clash A legal showdown may be brewing between the Employment Equity Act and the ESA. Although recent proposed amendments to the former included sectoral transformation targets, the ESA's amendments go a step further, granting the minister of labour the authority to impose hard quotas on the hiring of foreign nationals. 'We've got these two pieces of legislation, one having a quota and one having a sector target,' said Imraan Mahomed, director of employment law at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. 'There is already existing authority in the Constitutional Court that has found that the imposition of quotas is unconstitutional. 'The minister distances himself from any consideration that sectoral targets are quotas. It's not going to be a sectoral target in relation to foreigners, it's going to be a quota. I suspect there's going to be a legal challenge when it comes to these quotas.' The policy is presented as a dual-purpose tool: to promote local employment and safeguard migrant rights. As with most of the government's ambitions, the execution is where reality starts to wobble. 'The government has typically based its policies on a relatively poor reading of the true economy or the impact of immigration on it,' Landau said. 'While dramatically underestimating the positive impacts of immigration, it dramatically overpromises on its capacity to regulate labour conditions and migration.' Masuku, too, was sceptical of the policy's effectiveness. 'I suspect that it will be just another policy that is there, maybe for the purpose of proving a point to citizens. But, in terms of practicality, I don't think it will have a huge impact.' Swart echoed these doubts: 'The issue is not that employers are unwilling to appoint South African citizens, it is simply that the skills are not locally available, a consequence of a failed education system. 'The current proposal does not strike a balance, nor will it assist the unemployment crisis or ensure a skills transfer in the country.' A regional vision One of the policy's more progressive features is its regional outlook. It aligns with AU and Southern African Development Community frameworks and proposes the introduction of SADC visas, which are intended to ease cross-border work and allow for portable social protections. Lee Masuku, senior associate lawyer in employment law at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, said these would include a special work visa in the SADC region, special traders' visas and SADC small and medium enterprise visas. The policy also calls for updated labour agreements with neighbouring states like Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Mozambique, but Landau views these gestures as superficial. 'The existing policies may or may not reshape the labour market, but they do send a clear message to the region that South Africa is now more unilateral than ever. Given how much of its market is regional… this will likely hurt business and job creation,' he said. The policy also largely ignores where most migrant workers actually operate: in the informal sector, undocumented and unprotected. Asked whether the policy protected informal migrant workers, Landau answered: 'Simply put, no.' He added that it lacked mechanisms that recognise or protect the humanity and labour rights of migrant workers outside formal employment. Masuku warned further that employers might exploit undocumented migrants more if fewer legal work routes existed. For all its talk of order and oversight, the white paper admits that the policy is based on sparse and outdated data, and promises a better information system. The scattering of administrative data, the policy's lack of alignment to international standards, missing indicators and minimal use of both administrative and statistical data by policymakers are some of the key challenges the white paper identifies. 'A more robust reading of the regional economy which includes informal trade, fast fashion, small and unregistered business development in and through South Africa might suggest that national employment and regional obligations are complementary, not at odds,' Landau said. York gave a warning to employers operating in the agriculture, hospitality, tourism and construction sectors, saying they should prepare for the introduction of quotas on hiring foreign nationals. According to Masuku, Miwusa has a close re­­lationship with the labour union federation Cosatu and consulted with it to better understand the policy. 'We must work together to ensure that workers, regardless of their nationality, are not [negatively] affected by these kinds of policies,' he said. DM This story first appeared in our weekly Daily Maverick 168 newspaper, which is available countrywide for R35.

IOL News

4 days ago

• IOL News

Cabinet's crucial decision on Israeli Embassy closure looms

International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola says consultations have taken place within the relevant government cluster system to prepare a memorandum for submission to Cabinet for the closure of the Israeli embassy in South Africa. Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers The Cabinet is expected to decide by the end of the year on the potential closure of the Israeli embassy in Pretoria. This was revealed by International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola during a question-and-answer session in the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday. Responding to a question from EFF MP Virgill Gericke about the steps he has taken in honouring and executing the November 2023 resolution of the National Assembly to close down the Israeli embassy, Lamola said consultations have taken place within the relevant government cluster system to prepare a memorandum for submission to the Cabinet. 'In accordance with the constitutional principle of the separation of powers, the authority to decide on the possible closure of the Israeli embassy in South Africa rests solely with the Cabinet. 'Once Cabinet has deliberated and reached a final destination, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation will act in accordance with these directives,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Lamola indicated that the Israeli embassy remained downgraded. 'The downgraded embassy only just facilitates the normal processes of visa and travelling of civilians between the two countries, with no full operation of a full embassy in terms of liaising on political, diplomatic, and also economic relations between the two countries.' He also said since the matter was processed through the Cabinet process, he was unable to specify the date it will be resolved. 'But I can state that before the end of the year, Cabinet will have processed the matter.' Asked what outside forces were exerting pressure on the Cabinet or the government to relent on its initial resolve to close the Israeli embassy, Lamola said the authority to decide on the possible closure of the Israeli embassy in South Africa rests solely with the Cabinet. 'Cabinet has to undergo its internal processes, which it will be undergoing to deal with this matter, and it is being processed. 'It will be processed objectively, in line with the South African constitution, with no external pressure to be exerted on the South African government by any forces or anyone. The South African government will act within its sovereignty to make decisions informed by facts, policies, the Constitution, the National Development Plan, and national interests,' he said. Asked whether his department has considered other measures like economic sanctions against Israel as part of intensifying pressure against the continued Israeli attacks and aggression against Palestine, Lamola said the matter will require the Cabinet to deliberate on whether to exert economic sanctions and any other pressures that may need to be executed. 'But the South African government will continue to support the work that has been done by other countries. The European Union, its member states, have also begun to sanction some of the leaders of the Israeli regime in terms of economic sanctions, and also some countries like those in the G-7 have announced this type of measures.'