The #REFAFEST2025 sessions are now officially underway at the University of Johannesburg!
From the Township Economy to Feminist Economics, from AI and Democracy to Food Sovereignty, powerful discussions are happening across all four streams.
📸Some snaps from the morning:
🎉 A powerful start to #Festival2025 at REFA!
The opening plenary featured bold insights from Tessa Dooms, Prof Tregenna, Dr Trevor Ngwane & Dr Devika Dutt, covering economic justice, activism & global equity. Its just the beginning! #EconomicTransformation#PolicyAndAction
Action Policy
To move forward effectively, the government should integrate UBI into the National Dialogue's subsequent phases, aligning with global evidence that such grants can reduce poverty and enhance economic resilience.
#Paythegrants#UniversalBasicIncome#zaunemployment
📢We're hiring!
CALS is looking for candidate legal practitioners to join our team in January 2026. Please share widely!
Find the full requirements and apply here: https://t.co/Z1CdWiay0G
📌As we wrap up Women's Month, let's celebrate the resilience of women while acknowledging the ongoing challenges of apartheid and patriarchy in South Africa. Last year, we released a report highlighting the urgent need to reevaluate dominant macroeconomic frameworks, with a focus on the impact of austerity on gender and other social inequalities in policymaking. A feminist future requires fiscal and monetary policies that prioritise the well-being of all individuals, not just the powerful few. Read the full report below and join us in advocating for positive change!👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾
#Womandla ✊🏾
#WomensMonth2025
#NoToAusterity
#EndBudgetCuts
#AusterityIsAFeministIssue
https://t.co/JDb7CGexQm
@OfficialSASSA@The_DSD SASSA OR THIS Government is playing with citizens of which they are trying to tell us that you as an individual you can leave for a month with R624 this does not make sense this government is making us puppet you can’t even buy a month ticket for a month ‘370
We’ve just kicked off Day 1 of the Feminist Economics Summer School (FESS 2025)!
Participants are gathering, introducing themselves, and beginning powerful conversations on feminist epistemologies, methodologies, and methods.
#FESS2025
STATEMENT: The IEJ welcomes the reversal of the regressive VAT hike — but this cannot be an excuse to slash vital public spending. We call for progressive revenue alternatives, not austerity.
🔗 Read more: https://t.co/0y0Fzm5iIx
WEBINAR | Who gets left behind in SA’s social grant system? The IEJ’s latest research reveals systemic exclusions from the #SRDgrant and their devastating consequences.
🗓️ Wednesday, 9 April 2025
🕐 1:00 to 2:30 PM
🔗 Sign up now👉🏾https://t.co/O7Avd5hMY0 #EconomicJusticeMatters
Dr @s_munya Director of Africa Centre for Inclusive Health Management at Stellenbosch University says the #SRD grant win by @IEJ_SA & #PayTheGrants coalition is a win for health too. The SRD grant isn't just financial help—it means better food security, reduced stress, and easier access to healthcare for millions. https://t.co/pxxBIYaik0 #HealthNews
[Campaign Update]: In the court case against the @The_DSD, @OfficialSASSA , and the Minister of Finance @Treasury_RSA, a ruling was handed down in favour of civil society organisations IEJ and #PaytheGrants.
The judgement affirms that up to 18.3 million people should be able to access the SRD grant, and this can be done by ensuring that barriers hindering applicants from getting the grant are removed. It is also mentioned that only allowing applications via an “online portal and not SASSA is irrational and illegal.l” Read more on the court judgement here: https://t.co/Aseztsdoua
Add your name to the petition here: https://t.co/y1eKxNQWG5
[WATCH] The deadline for beneficiaries to exchange their gold SASSA cards for the black Postbank card has been extended from February 28 to March 20, 2025. Elizabeth Raiters, Deputy Director of the #PayTheGrants campaign, shares her insights.
The background to the confusion about whether the medium term budget provided for the SRD Grant is explained in this @UBIC_ZA statement:
"When the MTPBS was announced, Treasury made no allocation for the SRD grant in the 2025/26 budget provision for social grants. The MTBPS reduced the allocation for social grantsby over R20 billion in 2025. This led to the widespread interpretation that the SRD grant was being terminated in 2025. Treasury failed to contradict this reading of the MTBPS or to clarify its intention. It was only after Cabinet spokesperson Minister Ntshaveni clarified at a press conference thatno such decision had been taken by Cabinet, that Treasury oficials told Parliament that therewas an obscure provision in the MTBPS - contained under a “provisional allocation forinfrastructure and other” - under which the SRD Grant would be extended."
The full statement is available here: https://t.co/TkKzqaRjzd
The Cabinet is due to meet tomorrow to discuss a way forward on the postponed #Budget2025.
Today's statement by @IEJ_SA sets out detailed alternatives to the proposed #VAT increase.
We call on the President and Ministers to give serious consideration to these proposals.
We stand united with civil society in opposing a VAT increase and maintain that alternatives to a VAT hike are available - if only @TreasuryRSA & Minister Godongwana would listen!