TENDIDO DE CABLES EN ZANJA ABIERTA:

The study participants have demonstrated the ability to cultivate a variety of alternative sources of income which include social grants in the form of the child support grant, allowances from either boyfriends, husbands, father of their children or parents, rental revenue and a variety of

entrepreneurship ventures as part of their survival strategies. All EPWP participants earn stipends below the national minimum wage and would be likely candidates to form part of households which earn less than R4,125 which Finn (2015: iii, 7 & 49) indicates as the threshold to define the income of households below the poverty line. However during the course of these life herstory narratives, participants have revealed that they have multiple income generation streams which are in addition to the stipend received from EPWP. These income streams include child support grants, partner/husband, RDP rentals, and entrepreneurship ventures.

4.4.2.1 Boyfriend/husband or family

The only participant who does not receive financial assistance in the form of cash or living subsidisation from a partner or family the above sources is Misty. However Misty has several other alternative self-generated income streams. Dimakatso’s husband pays for rent and food amounting to R4000 per month.

Melissa and her child reside in Melissa’s family home and do not pay rent or contribute towards the household upkeep. Her parents own their own home and take care of all the associated home expenses including food. Melissa’s boyfriend gives her a monthly allowance of between R1,000 and R1,500:

He knows that where I am working [Zivuseni Reloaded], I don’t have a big salary so every month he makes provision for me.

Lerato’s boyfriend provides her with an allowance of R3,000 towards the upkeep of their child:

Like he is supposed to give me the money on the 25^th of every month. If he is not giving me my money by the 25^th or he gives it on the 26^th them I am not all right. Because I have to receive my money by the 25^th.

The bulk of financial assistance that participants receive originates from their boyfriends, husband, or family. Study participants are heavily reliant of this alternative income stream and in the main would not be financially viable without this critical alternative income stream regardless of their EPWP stipends. When the EPWP contract expires and if participants have not found another avenue of work the reliance on this alternative income stream will be substantially elevated.

4.4.2.2 Child Support Grant

Dimakatso, Melissa, and Lerato receive a child support grant of R330 at the time of interview for each of their children via the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Misty’s child support grant for her youngest child was discontinued during the SASSA verification audit.

Misty has not queried the reason for the stoppage because she believes that will fail the

SASSA means test. According to the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA 2016/17:

4) to qualify for a child support grant, “the applicant and spouse must meet the requirements of the means test”.

Melissa alludes to her financial reliance on the child support grant:

The grant money, I did not want the grant money. I really hated the decision to take that grant. The justification I felt that I have my child, I need my child to be supported by his father. I am not going to stand in queues filling up forms for grant money but because I can see that my situation is no longer good. The baby’s father is no longer there. I can’t provide for my child the way I want to or the way I planned. Then I have to go to that queue. And my mum, she was telling me that you have to go in that queue for your child to be provided for.

Lerato has increased financial responsibility through the birth of her child:

The one thing that has changed in my life is to have a baby, then I see a lot of problems because I have a baby. Sometimes he is sick, sometimes he is happy, he is a lot of things. I have the RDP and the two shacks and the grant [child support grant].

Dimakatso receives a child support grant for her child who lives with her mother in the Free State province:

“Every month I send my mum the child support grant plus other money. It’s R500 – R700 every month”.

The Government child support grants provide participants with the much-needed financial relief to supplement their EPWP stipends.

4.4.2.3 RDP rentals

Two of the participants own Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) homes and garner additional income via rentals. Misty rents out the two RDP properties that she had inherited from her husband and her mother.

Lerato inherited a RDP home from her mother. She earns an income of R500 from the two shacks erected on this property. The RDP homes provide an alternative income stream for some of the study participants.

I collect rent from the renters [tenants] of the two shacks. It’s R250 per each shack. If I am not working then this renters [tenants] money will help a lot. I must also lift the rent now to R300 for one shack. The things are too much [expensive] now.

This property is a double boon in that it provides for a permanent living space as well as an alternative income stream through rentals. Those participants that have RDP homes will find that in the eventuality of their EPWP contracts expiring they still have a home and a financial cushion through the rental revenue these properties generate.

4.4.2.4 Entrepreneurship

Two of the participants derive alternative income from business ventures. For Melissa this additional income helps her meet her financial obligations and for Misty this extra revenue allows her to broaden her other ventures and affords her the ability to save.

Melissa is a qualified nail technician and makes between R2,000 to R3,000 monthly from working on weekends.

You know in a month you [I] have maybe R3000. I have my own workstation at my mothers’ house.

Yes, I do my own job at home. My products are there. I also do house calls for them [clients]. I will be going to their houses and do them [provide services] in their houses. That is why I want my licence [drivers licence] to be able to do house calls outside the location [area in which she lives]. Like right now I am having a wedding [appointment to provide nail services for a wedding party]. I will be having these people they are seven.

Misty earns an additional R2,000 from doing washing and ironing as well as running a small shop from home. Misty’s has a loan business at the EPWP project.

Misty, she has got the money you will never find her broke. I say you must be wise. If you come to me saying Misty borrow me R50. You are not going to give me back just like R50. No. I put interest there R75, yes I do like that.

It is unclear how much revenue Misty generates via her loan business as it is demand dependent however it is a minimum of R600 a month. In addition to all these enterprising ventures Misty sells blankets and curtains in Rustenburg and rents out the two properties she had inherited from her husband and her mother.

These two study participants would be able to support themselves without the EPWP stipend and in the event of the contract expiration will able to fall back on their entrepreneurship avenues in order to make ends meet.