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Black people find themselves having to pay 'black tax' – survey

Johannesburg – Economic inequality remains the primary source of social division in South Africa, according to the 2015 South African Reconciliation Barometer.

The barometer was published by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR) on Tuesday in Johannesburg.

It explored various aspects of respondents’ perceptions in terms of social mobility and socio-inequality. 

The institute interviewed 2 219 people between August and September last year.

The IJR's research revealed that about 35.7% of those interviewed felt that the economic circumstances of their families had improved, while 60.8% indicated that the economic realities of their respective families had not improved.

The institute said, in terms of the change in economic inequalities since 1994, more than two-thirds of respondents felt that no improvement had been made since 1994.

About 36.5% indicated that inequality had increased. 

According to the survey, 60.9% of whites and 57.6% of Indians agreed that they have access to the financial resources they needed to achieve their goals. 

Less than half of blacks and less than a third of coloured respondent indicated the same, it said.

"The fact that percentages of white respondents who believe they have access to the respective resources and advantages needed to achieve their goals is high is not surprising, given the apartheid unequal distribution of resources among race groups, which continues to impact on inequalities to this day."

Black middle class trebled over 12 years

The institute said there was a high percentage of Indians who believed that they had access to resources they need. They also felt optimistic about their future economic prospects.

Meanwhile, coloured people indicated that they did not agree that they had enough access to resources they needed in order to achieve their goals.

They also indicated that they were unable to easily get to places they needed to be in order to achieve their goals.  

The institute, which compiles an annual Reconciliation Barometer, said the recent slow-down in economic growth and a deficiency of quality education could dampen the future economic prospects of black people.

The black middle class had trebbled over the past 12 years, it said. 

"Although the middle class black people is growing, many black people find themselves having to pay 'black tax', a conversion that forces them to support family members with less access to resources," it said.

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