Browsing by Author "Matisonn, Heidi"

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    Beyond party politics : to what extent, if any, are there unexpected democracy deepening consequences of one-party dominance in South Africa?
    (2003) Matisonn, Heidi
    The degree of centralisation and monopolisation of power by the African National Congress (ANC) is raising concerns about the long-term prospects for democracy in South Africa. Conventional party politics cannot at present provide the mechanism to check tendencies towards authoritarian domination: loyalty to the ruling party, lack of credible opposition parties and the electoral system itself are all factors contributing to the entrenchment of the status quo.
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    The continuing politics of basic income in South Africa
    (2010) Seekings, Jeremy; Matisonn, Heidi
    South African government ministers routinely profess their commitment to mitigating poverty and inequality, including - if necessary - through broad and expensive welfare programs. The South African state redistributes approximately 3.5% of GDP through non-contributory social assistance programs, paying out more than 13 million grants every month, in a country whose total population is less than 50 million. No other country in the global South spends as much on social assistance or reaches as high a proportion of the population. ?Yet many poor people remain beyond the reach of the public welfare system, and many of these poor people vote for the governing party, the African National Congress (ANC). This would seem to be fertile ground for the introduction of a basic income grant (BIG) reaching all citizens (and voters). Indeed, in 2002, a government-appointed committee of enquiry recommended (albeit tentatively) the introduction of a BIG.