The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
Isobel Frye is the director of the Studies in Poverty and Inequality Institute, based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her background is in law and social policy with a focus on poverty and socio-ecnomic rights in the South African context.
Isobel Frye -
With each passing day, the impact of the platinum strike increases its toll on workers and shareholders alike. The earlier announcement of the involvement of the new Minister of Energy appears to have dissipated to nothing. At the heart of the apparent failure of constructive social dialogue about the resolution of grievances – beyond the work of the Farlam commission looking in to the deaths at Marikana - appears to be an inability for actors in this tragedy to be able to...
Isobel Frye -
“It happens that you see it is better that the little ones eat and you can stay as you are, and there is nothing that you can do, and when the children ask why is it that mommy is not eating, you will say that you will eat after them.
My son eats tea and the crusts of the pap, he is 28 years old and he has tried to get work and vacancies are scarce. The biggest problem is that he does not have matric and I can see when I look at him that he longs to eat like other people, but all...
Isobel Frye -
South Africa has arguably one of the most extensive social security systems amongst developing countries. Currently just over 12 million people receive some form of social assistance grant, and in addition we have a number of social insurance schemes, including the Unemployment Insurance Fund and private pension and provident funds which together form a social security system.
The main historical objective of social security is to secure people against vulnerability which arises as a...
