Abstract
Adriette Dekker argues that the protection provided by social security is necessary not only to achieve social justice but is also an indispensable tool in the fight against poverty. Formal government-regulated social security in South Africa comprises both social insurance and social assistance. Due to the legacy of apartheid, this formal social security system is not comprehensive and excludes many of those who need it most, leading many people and communities to devise their own social security mechanisms. These alternatives can be termed informal social security which, although providing a certain degree of security, functions outside the protection and recognition of the formal system. The article offers suggestions for mechanisms to enhance offers cooperation between these two social security systems that can assist government in providing improved and more comprehensive social security.
Highlights
Social security is necessary to achieve social justice; it is an indispensable tool in the fight against poverty
As a result of the impact of Apartheid on the social security system, one of the biggest shortcomings of the present South African system relates to the fact that it does not provide comprehensive coverage
2 INFORMAL SOCIAL SECURITY Informal social security is a particular form of social security provided by family and/or community members which can be compared to the benefits which one would normally obtain from as a result of formal social security
Summary
Social security is necessary to achieve social justice; it is an indispensable tool in the fight against poverty. Social security refers to protective measures which are designed to guarantee everyone a certain degree of security, normally in the event of loss of income This usually happens as a result of a certain calamity such as illness, injury or old age.[1] The South African social security system consists mainly of social insurance[2] and social assistance.[3]. An interesting result of the exclusionary nature of the formal social security system is that, for a long time, people who were excluded from social security had no alternative other than to devise social security mechanisms outside of the state-regulated system These alternative forms can be termed informal social security. This article contains suggestions for mechanisms to enhance the increased cooperation between these two social security systems that can assist Government to provide improved and more comprehensive social security
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