Leaked ANC Document Calls for Basic Income Grant in 2025

The ANC’s official statement on its January lekgotla makes no mention of the Basic Income Grant, in spite of a decision taken at the meeting to phase in this grant this year.

• According to a leaked document from its January 2025 lekgotla, the ANC supports phasing in a basic income grant (BIG) this year.
• But the official statement on the outcomes of the meeting by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula did not mention a BIG or social grants.
• The Black Sash has expressed concern at the party’s lack of commitment.
• The ANC in response to GroundUp’s questions has said it remains committed to a BIG.

The African National Congress (ANC) held its annual National Executive Council lekgotla at the end of January, outlining the party’s priorities for the year ahead and the five-year term of the administration.

According to a document obtained by GroundUp, at the lekgotla the ANC supported phasing in a Universal Basic Income Support Grant (BIG) this year, in line with the promises made in the party’s election manifesto.

The document states the ANC will “Strengthen income support through existing social grants and use the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants as a mechanism towards phasing in the Basic Income Support Grant this year, as per ANC Manifesto.”

Skills development initiatives for SRD grant recipients were also discussed. The ANC proposed working with Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs) to provide targeted skills training for people receiving SRD grants.

But when ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula presented the outcomes of the lekgotla on 28 January, there was no mention of a BIG. The official statement, although focused on economic transformation, poverty alleviation, and unemployment, did not provide any details on the implementation of a BIG.

“The ANC’s battle of ideas is about ensuring that the movement’s transformative agenda is understood by society and embraced by all sectors, from the poor and working class to the youth and the center class,” Mbalula said in a statement on the lekgotla outcomes. He emphasised the need for the ANC to address the aspirations of South Africans, particularly marginalised people, and to focus on economic transformation, job creation, and improving access to quality services.

The Black Sash has expressed concern at the absence of any reference to a BIG in the official statement. Executive director Rachel Bukasa said, “The ANC’s failure to mention BIG in its official media briefing is deeply concerning and suggests a lack of political will to address South Africa’s crisis of poverty and unemployment.”

The ANC has previously said it supports a BIG, and in its 2024 election manifesto, the ANC said it would strengthen comprehensive social security by “progressively implementing a basic income support grant by extending and improving the value and coverage of the SRD grant for the unemployed”.

Black Sash criticised the ANC for failing to follow through on this commitment.

Bukasa said although the ANC has acknowledged the SRD grant as a way to phase in the BIG, the party’s proposals are vague, lacking implementation steps and timelines.

“The ANC has had ample time to implement a permanent, universal income grant, yet it continues to hide behind consultations, pilot programs, and conditionalities … [delaying] much-needed relief.”

“If the ANC was serious about eradicating poverty, it would prioritise the immediate rollout of [a BIG] rather than making vague, non-committal statements,“ Bukasa said.

She said the government’s failure to implement the BIG is deepening inequality and “pushing millions further into poverty”.

In a detailed response to GroundUp’s questions, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri denied that the implementation of a BIG was removed from the party’s official address.

“The BIG item outcome was not removed from the official address – as this suggests, it was on the agenda and then removed, which is not the case. The issue of the grant was part of a discussion in the Social Transformation Commission which was reported on the last day of the lekgotla; it was not a stand-alone item,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.

Asked why the plans for skills development and targeted support for SRD grant beneficiaries were not mentioned in the ANC’s official address, Bhengu-Motsiri said instead of including “every detail of what was discussed in the outcomes of all the eight Lekgotla commissions” in the final statement, they focused on key priority areas and national and global challenges.

Bhengu-Motsiri said the ANC is still committed to financing a BIG. “We will explore options such as new progressive tax measures, including a social security tax, while maximising fiscal space by effectively utilising existing resources,” she said.

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