Issued by Amirah Hassim on behalf of the FW de Klerk Foundation on 09/06/2025

The FW de Klerk Foundation expresses deep concern following the recent release of Statistics South Africa’s General Household Survey for 2024 (“GHS”), which highlights stark contradictions between the Bill of Rights and the lived experiences of millions of South Africans.

According to the data, nearly 25% of South African households report experiencing hunger and, despite the severity of the need, only 1 in 5 of these households report receiving food-related government support. At the same time, more than 40% of households are now headed by women, many of whom carry the financial and caregiving burden without adequate protection or state support. The survey also reveals that 1 in 5 children do not live with either of their parents, a statistic that reflects continued instability in the family unit.

While the GHS notes improvements in access to basic services, such as electricity and water, these infrastructure gains have not translated into improved dignity, nutrition, or security. A household may have light, but no food; a toilet, but no income. This growing gap between infrastructure and impact is cause for concern.

These realities speak to a broader failure to implement core constitutional rights, particularly section 27 (access to food), section 28 (children’s rights to family care and nutrition), section 12 (safety and security) and section 26 (housing).

This year’s Child Protection Week reminds us that the true test of a constitutional democracy is how it treats its youngest and most vulnerable people. With nearly 19% of children living with neither parent and many others lacking adequate nutrition or schooling, the GHS underscores a crisis of care in South Africa.

Amirah Hassim, intern at the Constitutional Advancement Programme, stated: “A Constitution is only as powerful as its implementation. For many youth and women, the rights to food, safety and dignity remain words on paper rather than protections in life.”

Ismail Joosub, Manager of Constitutional Advancement at the Foundation, added: “We must move beyond fragmented service delivery. What’s needed is an integrated social protection framework that links grants, food relief, school nutrition and early childhood care anchored in the Constitution and designed around real household needs. No child should grow up in a home that has electricity, but no supper.”

To close this gap, The FW de Klerk Foundation calls on the government to urgently scale up food security interventions, tailor social support for women-headed households and ensure every child has a stable caregiving environment and access to inclusive education.