WHEREAS the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of 1996), provides that everyone has the right to have access to social security, including the right to social assistance, if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants;

AND WHEREAS the Constitution obliges the State to take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights;

AND WHEREAS the effective provision of social security services requires uniform norms and standards, standardised delivery mechanisms and a national policy for the efficient, economic and effective use of the limited resources available to the State for social security;

AND WHEREAS a national social security economic policy is required to prevent the proliferation of laws and policies relating to social security from prejudicing the beneficiaries of social security, prejudicing the economic interests of the Republic or its provinces or impeding the implementation of such national social security economic policy;

AND in order to assist in securing the well-being of the people of the Republic and to provide effective, transparent, accountable and coherent governance in respect of social security for the Republic as a whole,

BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, as follows:—