THE IMPACT OF THE CHILD SUPPORT GRANT ON PARTICI-PATION IN THE LABOUR MARKET IN RURAL EASTERN CAPE

South Africa suffers from high and rising poverty levels and extreme inequality. The social security system (mainly social grants) is the government’s chief initiative in tackling these problems. It aims to reduce poverty among groups not expected to participate fully in the labour market, thereby increasing investment in health, nutrition and education. The provision of social security has historically been seen as a core feature of the welfare system aimed at the prevention of poverty during the transition to a multiracial democracy in South Africa. Post-apartheid South Africa moved from residual and institutional models of welfare policy to developmental social welfare, focusing on needy people who have been excluded from mainstream welfare and social security systems. The focus of welfare was on moving people out of poverty, and not only on the construction of social security for prevention, social compensation and income distribution (Department of Social Development, 1997)