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Cycle of poverty

by
2008-11-27 14:59

Dear Editor,

As I stopped at a robot the other day I was greeted with the usual sight of someone begging, but what really irked me was the two toddlers she had on either side of her and then the baby strapped to her back.

If you've fallen on tough times to the point where you need to beg to survive then you're probably struggling to support yourself, let alone three children.

Why is our government not doing enough to prevent situations like this?

No matter how much the poor receive in terms of social grants, they're always going to perpetuate the cycle of poverty as long as they have children they can't afford to look after.

Every time I see a child at the robots I see a child that's not in school, that's not being educated, that's more than likely to end up in the same situation when they grow up.

Having children you're not fit to look after properly should be criminalised. We shouldn't be rewarding irresponsible parents for having more children.

Even in the middle class, having too many children would be crippling to the family's finances. Why is government not encouraging smaller families by giving grants to those who only have one child?

Education is a massive challenge in our country and will continue to be a challenge as long as parents can't afford to educate their young.

If we're serious about alleviating poverty in this country then I believe that is an area we need to start paying greater attention to.

Chris G

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Big Bad Bob 11/27/2008 3:17:32 PM
Any means by which government could control this would amount to denying people what most would consider their right to have children. Religion also plays a role here - one of the most pervasive religions on the planet will not allow the use of contraception. This is an old problem, and short of the kind of measures used in China there is nothing any government can do about it.
bbvb 11/27/2008 3:18:02 PM
If you cant feed them, dont breed them. The goverment pays for free sterilization, yet every the poorest and dumbest (uneducated) keep breeding like rabbits. After I was born, my dad went for the snip and stopped at 2 kids. My sister and I could both go to university and are now printing money. But the black population believe that their kids wil look after them in the old days. Hows that working for them.......?
Big Bad Bob 11/27/2008 3:18:51 PM
If these people were being "rewarded", as you suggest that they are, would they not be sitting at home surrounded by implausible numbers of offspring rather than begging?
Philosopher 11/27/2008 3:19:12 PM
Human population growth is at the root of global warming, natural resource depletion, oil dependency, territorial wars, the spread of epidemics, destruction of the environment, you name it. It is the single biggest problem facing the world. The only solution is the immediate worldwide enforcement of 2 children per family maximum. Else the hungry person you save today will just become 5 hungry people tomorrow.
Poepol 11/27/2008 3:21:27 PM
Gvt is part of the problem with grants for every kid! Some parents take daughters out of school in std 8 to get pregnant and receive grants! People must be givven opportunity to work and get themselves out of poverty; nobody can do that for you. Give fishing rods, not fish!
Madibeng 11/27/2008 3:22:05 PM
There are many things you can blame government for not doing, or for not doing properly. But adult people having babies? Can you justifiably put the blame on government?
Candice 11/27/2008 3:22:19 PM
My neighbor is a 34 year old woman with 9 kids. Every year she gets a new baby and gets a support grant for each child. These toddlers and babies are living under the worst conditions. But come pay day (grant support) then she is so drunk for a whole week thereafter she starts begging to feed the children. I have called in the welfare but nothing has been done. I don?t know why the nurses at our local clinic do not do something about this. The boy she had 4 moths ago does not even wear towel nappies or disposable nappies no he wears old clothes. What kind of a life is this? Her eldest daughter age 10 is friends with mine. Sunday afternoon when I offered her a plate of food she eat like she never had food the in her life. I have so much more to say but ??I really don?t know what to do anymore. Everybody in our street just turns a blind eye??CAN SOMEBODY PLEASE ADVISE ME
terence 11/27/2008 3:23:48 PM
surely there should be a law that says if your household cannot afford to have children then you may not have children. And those that have children should be thrown in jail and there babies put up for adoption for people that can't have children that want children
ANDY 11/27/2008 3:25:09 PM
The choices that unemployed township people make can not be made the Government.The number of clinics that provide family councelling and contraceptives is more than enough for "us" to prevent ourselves from making babies that we cant afford.This people have enough time to sit in the sun or do whatever with their time but not go to the nearest clinic for prevention.Its the choices they make and make it as if the government ows them that grant!
R Leonard 11/27/2008 3:27:07 PM
Because it's not part of the culture ! I doubt that South Africa will ever embrace the finer, western, first world way of thinking. How many wives & childred, (legitimate & otherwise), does the next president have ? We live in hope ...
TC 11/27/2008 3:28:25 PM
methods of contraception are freely available. But people get grants for each child, but dont think how they will support the child when the child is to old for grants, maybe they just dont care. we are putting severe pressure on our resources by people who dont contribute to the economy or taxes. But goverment wont put policies in place, they need poor desperate people who will believe anything to vote for them
HS 11/27/2008 3:28:55 PM
Thats just the thing Chris. Government could really give a rat's ass, no matter bs they tell us. It's so simple it's scary but no it's not the African way. Having more children than you can afford to support is criminal and immoral!!! There is said it!
SB 11/27/2008 3:29:36 PM
There is not excuse to keep popping them out. People should not be allowed more than 2 and grants should only be allowed up to a max of 2, this would discourage having more just to get the grant. I am not rich and by no means poor but I had one child out of choice so I could do the best for him and I get ridiculed....
Gary 11/27/2008 3:30:39 PM
Forced sterilisation? If you earn x amm u will be neutered? Why is it governments responsibility to "look after" people who cannot think for themselves?
tribalzone 11/27/2008 3:31:38 PM
Instead government offers more money for the more kids you have so popping them out turns into a meal ticket... Or are they ensuring they keep up their number of voters.
Juan 11/27/2008 3:32:04 PM
If you can't feed 'em, DON'T breed 'em!!
Juan 11/27/2008 3:33:37 PM
How can there be people living in poverty like this? You must be lying, because I remember our government promising "a better life for all" more than 14 years ago. If we can afford submarines and private jets, then SURELY we coul also help the poor??
L van Heerden 11/27/2008 3:36:20 PM
Government seems to be blamed for everything including areas where people need to take personal responsibility. If government cannot do some basic things right, do we expect them to tell people when they should procreate or not? Surely, family and others need to tell the mother to stop having babies. In any case, she might be using the kids to make MORE money
Charl 11/27/2008 3:36:56 PM
You are quite right in my eyes Chris. I am middle class and family planning is very important to me as I would only want to have chldren if I knew that I would be able to raise them properly - meaning if I knew I had the financial resources to do so. Educate educate - that is the key.
Philosopher 11/27/2008 3:38:10 PM
Every day, the world population grows by 200 000. That is, there are 200 000 more births than deaths every single day. Every day 3 Ellis Park stadiums packed with people are added to the already burdened earth. The only day in recent history where the world population briefly remained constant, was on 26 December 2004, when the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck. The next day, it was business as usual again with 200 000 extra mouths added to the world. That's the shocking, unsustainable reality we face.
xp 11/27/2008 3:38:14 PM
Good point! People should stop talking about 'culture and religion' and look at the bare facts. Having too many children you cannot afford is just not cool - its a recipe for disaster. If you cannot afford them, don't breed them! Unfortunately to some governments/religions large uneducated masses are required to gain power and to remain in power.
Johno 11/27/2008 3:38:25 PM
So you expect the government to control how many kids you can have? So much for freedom in the new south africa. How about just exercising self-control? And tell me just how you intend to enforce this child-bearing restriction? Taxes on already unemployed people? Police to bash down doors like in the old days? Is today the "write a ridiculous letter to news24" day? First that silly tax letter and now this. Why not take responsibility for your own life and stop expecting handouts?
Tsotsi 11/27/2008 3:39:42 PM
More children being abanded when you give grants to small families. It should be removed all together!
LJB 11/27/2008 3:41:56 PM
Agree whole-heartedly.....but then again who's going to vote for the ANC.
Deano 11/27/2008 3:48:12 PM
True, but it is not always as easy as that. Some communities dont have access to contraceptives or have befiefs against it. Abortion is also a touchy subject. I dont think this is anything that the government will be able to control. At least not easily.
Badger 11/27/2008 3:48:46 PM
You are going to be rapped over the knuckles for this one. But I agree with 100000000%
Ck 11/27/2008 3:49:45 PM
I agree that you shouldn't be having children if you can't even support yourself, but a disagree with the methods you proposed.
SimonP 11/27/2008 3:53:21 PM
You sure the 3 kids were hers or just borrowed to increase the daily take. Outlaw begging and the "hand-out" ideology will vanish.
Suzz 11/27/2008 3:54:37 PM
What a fantastic article! I've been wondering the same exact thing. Overpopulation is a problem, not to mention the people that don't have the money to raise kids properly. The children don't deserve lives like that, it's not fair. And people call me selfish for not wanting any children at all.....
Thokozani 11/27/2008 3:56:29 PM
I partially agree with you, people are having too many children. However your solution of holding people criminaly responsible is not viable.First we will be going against nature and then what charges will be placed on those people. The topic is interesting, the solution is short of making sense.
Richard 11/27/2008 3:57:16 PM
You're right ofcourse but if we stop this breeding then who is going to vote for this crazy Gov't in the future. ANC looks after it best interest not South Africa's
Paul Hammann 11/27/2008 3:57:28 PM
I place the blame entirely at the feet of the government! I discuss this very issue with South Africans of all races very often & the conclusion is that the more children one produces, the more money one gets from government in the form of child grants. The sad thing is that this money is unfortunately not even spent on these kids in the majority of cases. Government grants should only be paid for one child...FULL STOP!
Viparo 11/27/2008 3:58:04 PM
With you on this one Chris. Always amazes me how the poorest people have the most children. Any town, any country. Some only have children to qualify for the social grant. I agree, stop at one. One social grant per family, no matter how many kids you have. Worst is, condoms are free.
Carl 11/27/2008 3:59:46 PM
Overpopulation is a huge concern and the source of many problems, but it is difficult to find a humane solution. Usually it rests on the individual to take responsibility. Perhaps people should be paid NOT to have children, rather than the other way round?
angola badprop 11/27/2008 4:00:37 PM
Thanks to goverment people are having children just to get goverment grants.The goverment is helping the welfare state along by chasing the geese with the golden eggs away with affirmative action/transformation and doing nothing about crime.Zim here we come!!!
Jameel 11/27/2008 4:01:05 PM
Whilst I am in agreement with the overall objective of your statement, Government can hardly manage the police forces properly, with violent crime spiralling totally out of control, nevermind trying to manage population growth. The issue at hand is that we sold our souls to democracy, which we all should agree is hardly benefitting the greater good of mankind. Just ask the Brits and yanks...they have the bible in one hand and handcuffs on the other.
Juan 11/27/2008 4:01:09 PM
"Why is it governments responsibility to "look after" people who cannot think for themselves?" It's because *people that can't think for themselves* voted this government into power!
Stryder 11/27/2008 4:01:36 PM
How dare you!!!! That is a western mindset and this is Africa. African solutions for Africa. I think that means getting Aid from the West.
Raymond Hocknell 11/27/2008 4:01:39 PM
The government needs to adopt the principle that having children is not a right! It is a privilege! And, as such, should carry with it certain minimum standards. I agree fully with Chris. Whether the solution is medical or bereaucratic I don't know. Perhaps take the stand the Chinese did and try to prevent overpopulation before it happens by penalising families who don't comply?
Richard 11/27/2008 4:01:48 PM
As cruel as this might sound, anyone who is found to be HIV + should also immediately be sterilised. They go ahead and have 3 children, then die leaving them orphans.
Ulaka 11/27/2008 4:02:34 PM
what do you do? - Capitalist society is on the brink of collapse. The world needs to resort back to a communal model - where people barter and trade for no profit and communities look after themselves. Eco tourism needs to be introduced across africa to help preserve the wildlife and natural resources for generations to come. people must try stop having children - there are too many people in the world. Something has got to give - the ANC do nothing!
GD 11/27/2008 4:02:48 PM
How will it be enforced? Draconian laws such as in China? Unfortunately, there is very little government can do to stop people making babies...
mzu 11/27/2008 4:03:43 PM
Sori chris to have children is everybody right but let us not blame government let us blame ourselfs not educating our people we have to educate each other in order this country to move forward let us not always put the burding upon the government we have to learn to teach each other about the importance of life
jannie 11/27/2008 4:04:27 PM
You could have written "rewarded" as rewarded, because giving social grants to people based on the number of children they have is nothing but an award to go at it like rabbits....
SF 11/27/2008 4:07:07 PM
Why won't government let them stop having children? It's simple - votes. More children = more votes 18 years from now.
Raymond Hocknell 11/27/2008 4:08:15 PM
I will say it again; Having children is a privilege, not a RIGHT!!!!! But I agree that we need sterner education in this regard.
Jhazzman 11/27/2008 4:08:34 PM
I agree to an extent. This is like this the World over, the poorer people are the more they seem to have children. Education is the key and there needs to be restrictions on Grants, I say all families should get grants on no more than 2 children per household. But you cannot criminalize something that is everybody's god given right.
maya 11/27/2008 4:10:07 PM
Chris, you fail to recognise that many women in this country cannot get access to adequate family planning. 85% of doctors and nurses are opposed to abortions and women are not always able to force husbands/ boyfriends to wear condoms. criminalising these people will punish them even further and tear more families apart. Your ideas are ridiculous and mean spirited. What we need is for safe and widespread access to reproductive health services, not jail time, and not judgment from people like you!
MJB 11/27/2008 4:13:15 PM
I often wondered why the Government stopped publishing birthrate statistics (or keep it low key). Can someone explain why the promotion of fewer children is not acceptable in Africa?
SimonP 11/27/2008 4:14:03 PM
The govt r doing nothing because they dont care for the welfare of their citizens. Make begging illegal, at the moment its an extension of the "hand-out" mentality in SA.
MarcD 11/27/2008 4:15:00 PM
It breaks my heart to even see people with no kids who are battling, let alone ones who can't afford to feed their kids. But I dunno if there's much the government can do, apart from making free condoms available to them. I mean, you cannot really stop people from bumping uglies... Some kind of education campaign may help, but I really think its a losing battle. Many of these kids are also afs kids, which also freaks me out.
Honky Tonk Man 11/27/2008 4:19:14 PM
I concur with these sentiments. Instead of discouraging the poor fro having kids, the government plies them with child grants. We should adopt the chinese mentality were you get punished for having more than 1 child. Might sound like a communist ploy but we are saving our planet in the long run.
johnson 11/27/2008 4:21:10 PM
I have long advocated that the child care grant be given for the first two children only. But NEVER will the ANC do that - they need to maximise their votes so they HAVE to keep the ignorant, brain washed masses growing in order to indoctrinate them! They are deliberately perpetuating the cycle, just like Robert Mugabe - and look where Zimbabwe has landed up!!!!
NM 11/27/2008 4:21:36 PM
We cannot blame everything on the government. There should be no grants!It drives me crazy to see those women begging on the traffic lights, carrying children on their backs.What about the kids begging? Why have children when you don't even have a job? Contraception is free. I'm sick and tired of having to feel sorry for people who don't want to use their brains and who take short cuts.
Point Blank 11/27/2008 4:31:45 PM
It is illegal to beg with your children, call social services and they will take those children away, they do it all the time in Durban.
Lee 11/27/2008 4:36:32 PM
I have always said over population is the root cause of poverty. Too many people no jobs, no housing, etc. Most of the time it is poor people who have a string of kids, why!? Some are motivated by the grants. Limit the grants to three per family. Use the AIDS billions to campaign family planning. If u dont believe by now that AIDS exists, gov is wasting money, which could be spend on other priorities.
carol 11/27/2008 4:37:04 PM
I've often wondered about this. Education on this issue is a big key. The thing is its not only in our country its a world wide problem. As you say there should be grants for smaller families - after all they are less of a drain on the finances of the country.
Ginger 11/27/2008 4:39:44 PM
The government could start with reversing the stupid law that makes one get a prescription for the pill at chemists. You used to just be able to walk in and buy them. The pill and injection should be available all over SA -more mobile clinics, more free clinics and well advertized into the bargain. Half the clinics don't work or exist anymore. And I think maybe it should also be taught in life skills at school. Of course getting them to school is an issue by its self.
Puzzled 11/27/2008 4:41:26 PM
A few years ago a friend of mine came across a beggar in similar circumstances and instead of handing her money she handed over a dozen condoms - saying that the beggar needed them more than she did. It was hysterical. And the beggar looked in the tin, pulled them out and threw them on the ground. What more can we say?
Yari 11/27/2008 4:41:42 PM
I couldn't agree more. Possibly the government wants more uneducated, hungry masses to add to the ranks of voters that they can easily manipulate with empty promises.
DJ 11/27/2008 4:44:08 PM
the gov could change the child benefit award system so that it only applies to the first two children. Following the birth of the second child, they can be offered contraceptive options or sterilisation.
kaddy 11/27/2008 4:45:57 PM
why not introduce a bit of selective breeding to improve the gene pool in generations to come
lenyora 11/27/2008 4:48:12 PM
I agree with you, government has done all it can to alleviate poverty in this country yet people turn to be arrogant, that's ridiculus!!! and most people who do this are those who left school, who are ill discipline to their parents, they are discipline on making a lot of babes without fathers. Let us stop blamming the goverment, goverment has made it possible for every child to be at school not at the robots to beg for living. lets wake up and educate ourself!
John 11/27/2008 4:48:42 PM
Who else do you expect will vote for the ANC in the future?
IceCreamMan 11/27/2008 4:49:08 PM
But dont be silly ,we cannot infringe on ppls basic right to procreate you know. Also do we really want a society that encourages ppl to be responsible for themselves ...;-)
Citizen 11/27/2008 4:55:05 PM
This is a great article. Well done! You hit the nail on the head.
SM 11/27/2008 4:57:04 PM
My husband and I are of the opinion that 2 children should be the maximum as we are then replacing ourselves and therefore not putting a strain on a already overburdened world. Unfortunately you can't stop people having babies. Have you noticed that those people who wait and make sure they have enough money to look after their children are the ones who end up having fertility problems and yet there are those in abject poverty breeding like rabbits. Life just isn't fair sometimes.
Gavin 11/27/2008 5:00:57 PM
in most parts of Africa. That's a huge bridge to cross (albeit it possibly a noble one). Secondly, will we, in a mutation of what happens in other countries where males are preferred, and female children are either sold or killed, be promoting the morder of children? Sorry Boet - noble, but not a chance of working.
Sardonicus 11/27/2008 5:03:31 PM
Seems to me that us South Africans like to screw around. Many of our youngsters make girls pregnant at school and then disappear. Many migrant workers sleep around like the world is going to end. And then when baby arrives, the mommy can't look after the baby! So what does she do, what most desperately poor people in this country do, beg on street corners. At least she didn't throw the baby in the toilet.Why do we have controls for animals,yet humans are allowed to breed unrestricted?
Pete 11/27/2008 5:03:38 PM
are future ANC voters. Why would the government want to stop them??
Quintin 11/27/2008 5:19:22 PM
Why no education on family planning for the pregnant and poverty stricken masses? Because government relies on the ignorant, uneducated "promise of a food parcel and free t-shirt" driven votes of these poor souls for the ruling (read: unruly) party to stay in power. If they had any intention of assisting the SA population with family planning it should have started with the upgrading of our public school system and I don't know about you, but it seems nothing really happened over 14 years?
DuckOne 11/27/2008 5:25:02 PM
Other than limiting the grant to one or two kids, there is nothing that govt can do immediately. What it can do in the long term is ensure that our society educates its men to respect the rights of woman. Particularly amongst the poor, our population problem is because women are not respected. They are treated like door mats and personal concubines. Selfish, arrogant and uncaring men are the problem. Men must recognise the right of a woman to say 'No'!
saliem 11/27/2008 5:26:45 PM
OK Chris what's your proposal? It's well & done blaming it on government as we can easilly do the blame game without ever getting to the root of the problem. The trend of poor people with large families is global. Seeing as government "interfere" in a variety of issues that don't concern them (Springbok emblem, street naming, minors necking in public...) perhaps forced family planning is the answer. Perhaps they should follow the led of the Chinese government?
Thought 11/27/2008 5:34:32 PM
Exactly. Women very often do not have the right to ask for a condom - either because of financial vulnerability or because she is coerced. The socio-economic situation is complex. Racist comments and comments about rabbits are hardly helpful.
GailC 11/27/2008 5:47:21 PM
Through a one time payout after they have been for a snip and tuck. It does nothing to affect their prowess.The doctor who performs the snip provides a certificate after six months which proves he is firing blanks and then he can apply for his payout. Women with babies with no means of support should receive food parcels instead of money so that they do not spend money on booze and stuff like hair extensions. They should also be issued with certificate if sterilised and receive a payment.
Benzo 11/27/2008 5:49:03 PM
Stats show that in poor conditions mothers and newborns do not make it. See MDGoals. MDG is aiming to improve these stats = more babies, more mothers to produce babies. Thus: we should revise MDG on this item. Let mothers and babies die at birth whenever possible. Rich and educated people do not have this problem. What they do not realize is that their life expectancy is so much higher. Having two kids per generation means that they seriously contribute to the overpopulation of the planet and ?due to their life style- contribute to pollution, CO2, water shortage and many other luxury related issues threatening the planet. Rich and educated people should have no more than 1 baby per generation to reduce the greenhouse effects of their typical lifestyle.
Kerry 11/27/2008 5:58:02 PM
Thank YOU! Finally someone with some sense! I agree, how can people be allowed to have so many kids and not be able to look after them, there should be a law where you must show a history of your wealth and according to that they can say, alright you can have 1,2,3. Funny its more likely under the poorer people you'll find they have 7/10 kids, its unbelieve-able, but in SA i doubt anything will be done about it. I have very little faith in that country
Kerry 11/27/2008 5:59:12 PM
Great article!
Tony 11/27/2008 6:01:09 PM
Yep, I agree the problem lies with the grants. How about automatic sterilization after 1 or 2 children? Natural selection will eventually win and those with too many offspring that they can't support will eventually die out taking their genes with them, whilst those that are more prudent in this regard will survive. It's called flogging a dead horse, similar to the approach towards AIDS and short of drastic, even Draconian measures, it will remain a problem for a long while yet.
ChrisR 11/27/2008 6:07:33 PM
It is 50 years too late too save the planet from imploding under the mass of humanity - no god who supposedly told you to breed uncontrolled will come to your aid and all the little plans we make cannot save us, so cheers
yaya 11/27/2008 6:08:32 PM
At which point will we start expect people to act like the adults they are? Goverment has made contraceptive freely available at many clinics easily accessible to the poor. As for the grant, how much do you get out of R200.00 bucks? How long does it take for many of you to spend that much? By the way the people 'seemingly' having kids to get social benefits is not just confined to SA, please read papers in U.K. & European countries. Also do we really want & understand a police state?
Basher 11/27/2008 6:12:36 PM
as sad as it may be - the greatest problem is that most of the resources and wealth are in the hands of the few, and we're blaming the have-nots... say what if there was a GOD and he actually ALLOWED people to have children for reasons other than controllable-financial-burdens......imagine that!
Tony 11/27/2008 6:26:37 PM
We in South Africa are the most fotunate people on earth. I say this because they can almost acurately repeat word for word what others say. The so called elders said that Zoobabwe is about to implode imediately both Jacob Zuma and our honorable president repeated the same story, now there was a report that said that aids could be beaten in a decade, Jacob Poly Zuma has just said it as well . Hurray for South Africa / VIVA ALL National Confused Parrots VIVA
John 11/27/2008 6:26:57 PM
That is exactly what I have been concerned about. Mark my words....the root cause for the total collapse of our planet, is over-population. People complain about expensive gasoline prices, food shortages, greehouse gasses, but don't stop to consider WHY we are having these problems. There are too many people on this planet, and there is a limited amount of raw materials to provide for all. Even crime and violence can be attributed to over-population - not 'nuff jobs so people resort to crime.
May 11/27/2008 6:28:50 PM
In a perfect world, and not taking into account our human need for love and family, I'd say yes, stop poor people from breeding. But when you have so little in life is it fair to withold from them the one thing that brings untold joy? And then there is also the fact that by having children they may be inspired to become better better people and work harder to provide for them etc. Not in all cases unfortunately.
Tony 11/27/2008 6:36:03 PM
This same thing was mentioned years ago, why carry on breeding if you cannot aford it? This is one of the reasons why condoms were distributed free of charge all over the place. Condoms don't work in South Africa because the breeders forget to use them after a couple of drinks.That brings up the next National problem, South Africans must be the biggest pissartists on the planet, nothing can be started or finished without the use of the bottle.Goverment must firstly do something about pisscats.
Chris G 11/27/2008 6:36:13 PM
You don't need to take away people's rights to have children in order to stop them having children. Give grants to those only having 1 child as a "reward" for being responsible and you'll soon see results.
May 11/27/2008 6:38:48 PM
In a perfect world, and not taking into account our human need for love and family, I'd say yes, stop poor people from breeding. But when you have so little in life is it fair to withold from them the one thing that brings untold joy? And then there is also the fact that by having children they may be inspired to become better better people and work harder to provide for them etc. Not in all cases unfortunately.
Chris G 11/27/2008 6:47:28 PM
I wasn't insinuating that people shouldn't have the right to reproduce, merely that government should discourage people from having children if they can't afford them, by withholding grants from large families. By giving them "grants" per child you're simply providing them more reason to have more children.

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95700

VOLVO

C30 2.0 3-dr Powershift
2009
259990

Property - Find a new home

MOOIKLOOF

Single Residential 11,200,000

KLEINBRON ESTATE

Single Residential 2,250,000

PARADYSKLOOF

Single Residential 4,250,000

Travel - Look, Book, Go!

Blue Train Breakaway

Looking for a holiday with a difference? Try the Blue Train! Spend two nights on the train and another two at Zimbali Lodge - meals, transfers and even golf included! For just R9680 per person sharing, there is no reason why you shouldn't book now!

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