Since 1994, South Africa has made massive strides from past adversity to the creation of one of the most inspirational democratic systems in the world. We have proven that democracy is the only effective instrument for social justice.
Sadly, we have not always upheld and advanced the principles of social justice to the benefit of the majority of our people.
Many South Africans are still caught in the so-called deprivation trap of poverty, isolation, vulnerability and weakness. The cycle of grinding poverty and despair renders them voiceless and powerless while political elites enrich themselves at the expense of social justice.
A lack of economic development at local level as well as the inability to obtain quality education contribute to high levels of unemployment and poverty and keep people in a position of vulnerability and powerlessness.
In their 2014 book, Community Development: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty, Hennie Swanepoel and Frik de Beer point out that in urban informal settlements unemployment rates of 70–80 percent are not uncommon.
With around 22 percent of the population living on less than R335 a month, 19 percent on less than R501 and 54 percent or 27 million people below R779, it is no wonder that many remain caught in the deprivation trap. The inadequate provision – and sometimes complete absence – of water and sewage services pose serious health problems, especially to children who are among the most vulnerable when diseases start to spread.
The continued plight of the poor and other marginalised groups clearly shows that we only pay lip service to social justice. We fail to realise that in order to advance social justice we need to eradicate poverty, and promote full employment, decent work and gender equity for all.
The UN’s World Day of Social Justice, celebrated annually on February 20, is an opportune moment to reflect how far we still have to go to make social justice a reality for all South Africans.
It gives us the opportunity to look at the reasons why we have failed to create a peaceful and prosperous society, and also to look at the removal of barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.
To succeed in advancing social justice we will have to provide people with access to quality education to reduce poverty and unemployment. Education is a universally accepted instrument for economic and human growth, while employment helps restore dignity and self-esteem. It is especially important to bring the poor closer to places of opportunity and employment from which they are often far removed.
Once employment opportunities have been created, we should fight the exploitation of workers. Exploitation is an important underlying cause of the social unrest and uprisings so prevalent across the country. Corporate and industrial accountability must be demanded, a decent national minimum wage must be set by government and the labour force must be treated with the humanity they deserve.
The government should also do more to provide affordable and equal health care for everyone. Broken, dysfunctional hospitals must be fixed, nurses must be paid better for their contributions, and more doctors must be trained. Preventive primary healthcare facilities also need to be expanded.
Transport facilities, such as ambulance services to health centres, should be upgraded and curative facilities provided by large clinics and hospitals should be closer to the poor. Also, government and business should work together to ensure affordable access to healthy food and proper nutrition for the many South Africans who suffer from malnutrition, low-grade diets and are close to starvation.
When reflecting on the pressing challenges needing to be addressed, we should remember that the struggles of the poor are everyone’s struggles, as award-winning documentary filmmaker, author and journalist Gillian Schutte reminds us. In a statement released by the South African Civil Society Information Service, she pleads that we do not turn a blind eye to the violation of human rights and human dignity caused by poverty.
We should have compassion with those who are suffering, and become advocates for change. We should demand a life of dignity and justice for all. If we are serious about extending social justice to the poor, we will heed her call.
* Dr Chris Jones is an academic project leader in the Department of Practical Theology and Missiology at Stellenbosch University.