Changing social policy: the child support grant in South Africa

Abstract

An important historical record of one part of post-apartheid South Africa's policymaking, Changing social policy charts the generation of the Report of the Lund Committee, which ultimately resulted in the establishment of the Child Support Grant (CSG) in post-apartheid South Africa. It provides a broad overview of the context of policy reform at the time of South Africa's transition to democracy, looks at the patterns of poverty and inequality that the first democratically elected government of South Africa had to address and also delves into the welfare sector, first under apartheid, and then the move towards developmental social welfare. Through this work, Lund allows readers to understand the transformation from traditional and discriminatory welfare under apartheid, to the more progressive and developmental social welfare system to emerge in South Africa. Changing Social Policy provides a unique lens into the manner in which evidence, ideology, financial possibilities, personality, struggle and compromise all came together in the business of policymaking.