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A homeless man sits against the walls of parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo: EPA-EFE/NIC BOTHMA) Thousands of homeless people live in Cape Town. Many of them beg as their main source of income.
The City of Cape Town and some homeless organisations discourage giving cash to beggars. Others disagree.
In this video, we ask: does giving money to beggars make their lives better, or worse? DM
Credits: Video filmed and edited by Ashraf Hendricks. Presented and researched by Marecia Damons. Produced by Daniel Steyn. Sharfaa Ahmed assisted during filming
First published by GroundUp.
I had an economics university lecturer (masters level) that used to say to the class, "It’s all about jobs! People need work, not cash handouts". Most people don't want to get involved in criminal activity because they are unemployed. We need a framework that enables private companies to create jobs. Government is not supposed to be a mass employer of citizens. Government is only supposed to provide an environment that is conducive to the growth of businesses, the economy and employment.
I have not watched the video but I believe that giving tins of baked beans that can be opened digitally is a surer way of giving them what they need.
