Together we ended apartheid, together we can end poverty

Through the Speak Out on Poverty Nationwide Hearings the poor identified a range of obstacles preventing the eradication of poverty. This commitment calls for action to remove these obstacles. In reviewing progress each year the commitment will be revised and updated to forward the struggle to end poverty.

We the undersigned commit ourselves to the following actions towards poverty eradication:

Actions by the Public Sector:
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Volunteering time to communities and organisations involved in the fight against poverty;
• Mobilising and organising to give a strong voice to the poorest of the poor;
• Contributing to the Poverty Fund;
• Disseminating information to the nation about anti-poverty programmes;
• Refraining from violence against women and children.

Actions by Government Officials:
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Disseminating information to the nation about anti-poverty programmes;
• Treating all individuals with whom we have contact, regardless of their race or social standing, with respect and dignity;
• Responding to all queries and requests within three months of their being lodged;
• Establishing a hot-line for the public to report problems and non-delivery;
• Adhering to the Public Sector Service Code of Conduct, where much of the above is contained, which should be applied, publicised and accessible.

Actions by Politicians:
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Reversing GEAR and increasing social spending and the role of the state in meeting basic needs;
• Renegotiating the apartheid debt and releasing this money for poverty eradication;
• Ensuring that policies do not prejudice unorganized poor constituencies as was the case with the welfare review process which cut a lifeline to the poor;
• Discontinuing user fees for basic lifeline services (water, electricity) for those who cannot afford payment;
• Establishing a non-market linked credit facility which will be accessible to the poor;
• Prioritising resources for a social safety net for all South Africans;
• Providing incentive for investment in rural areas (e.g. tax and training);
• Introducing a pollution tax.

Actions by the Private Sector
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Establishing a poverty eradication fund to which a percentage of profits will be contributed;
• Establishing partnerships with government to decentralize activity and prioritise investment and job creation in rural areas;
• Investing in environmentally friendly production methods;
• Encouraging partnership with local communities and government around poverty eradication programmes;
• Establishing partnerships around tendering awards;
• Contributing a percentage of land sales and purchases to a voluntary development tax to meet the needs of the homeless.

Actions by Civil Society (NGOs, religious institutions, labour etc)
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Forming strategic alliances with other representative groups in society and engaging in dialogue around poverty;
• Prioritising resources and human capacity for rural areas;
• Disseminating information and availing resources to community information centres and to disseminate information more broadly;
• Auditing all resources (especially land) and encouraging the redistribution of these resources to meet the priority needs of the poor.

Actions by the Media:
To take individual responsibility to ensure the fight against poverty becomes the nations priority by:

• Providing regular and prime space for disseminating information about poverty eradication programmes.

Monitoring the commitment

• Statutory bodies will monitor this commitment by conducting spot checks and a range of other monitoring mechanisms.
• Every individual endorsing this commitment will monitor its implementation and will report to the Commission for Gender Equality, South African Human Rights Commission, who will provide a consolidated report on October 17th (International Poverty Eradication day) each year.

Poverty Commitment Return Slip

Signed by:

Designation:

On behalf of :

Telephone: (        )

Fax: (        )

E Mail:

Postal Address:

Date: