I’m told that in Masiphumelele, the township where I currently work, the average monthly rent is 300 Rand. That’s about £20.50. The average daily pay for a housekeeper from one of the townships is 100 Rand, or £7. There is very high unemployment, which has been linked with many an ugly issue, from theft to child prostitution.
Many people I know can afford to have a housekeeper or gardener if it will only set them back 100 Rand per week, and some see it as a great way of creating jobs. I’ve been trying to figure out what I feel about this: is it exploitation to expect someone to work for a whole day for £7, when that represents 33% of their monthly rent?
On the one hand, without jobs people will starve or resort to crime, and jobs hold more dignity than handouts. On the other, such a low ‘minimum wage’ forces people to remain in poverty: in sub-standard living conditions, with poor diet and limited life-prospects.
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