Economic & Social Development

It is an alarming fact that there are about 10 million people in formal employment in South Africa, but 17 million people who depend on social grants paid by the government. Even worse, of the 10 million, only about half earn enough to be liable to pay income tax. These figures reveal a lot about both unemployment and poverty, two of the main challenges that democratic South Africa has faced, and which it has not yet successfully tackled.

The field of economic and social development is a wide one, and one in which Catholic Social Teaching has much to offer when it comes to the formulation of people-centred policies and legislation. Similarly, the Church has a long and deep experience to share in areas such as education, health, welfare and integral human development – all of which feature prominently in government’s plans for social spending.

Sub-themes:

1. The Budget and Allocations
2. Unemployment and Job Creation
3. Local Government and Service Delivery
4. Land
5. Socio-Economic Rights