The South African Constitution in section 27(1)(c) obligates the state to develop a
comprehensive social security system. It affirms the universal right to access to social
security, including appropriate social assistance for those unable to support themselves
and their dependants. It orders the state to take reasonable legislative and other
measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of these
rights.
The underlying normative commitment of social security is the improvement of the
quality of life of the population by promoting economic or material equality. Social
security ensures that all citizens have a stake in society and that each individual has an
incentive to contribute to the development of the commonwealth. It plays a crucial role
in the lives of communities and families viewed in the context of social transfers which
provide broader development objectives and tackles income poverty transfers.
The objectives of this study are threefold. Firstly, it examines the extension of social
assistance coverage to the indigents in South Africa. Secondly, it looks at the legal
mechanisms employed by courts and government in order to improve the social security
rights of the poor in South Africa. Thirdly, the research investigates the possible reform
and trends in India and Brazil with the aim of improving South Africa’s system of social
security.