Research by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group shows an increase in the cost of the household food basket. The group's Mervyn Abrahams has more. Courtesy of #DStv403
PIETERMARITZBURG - Research by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice & Dignity Group shows an increase in the cost of the household food basket.
It says the recent fare hikes and annual electricity tariff increase present a further threat to being able to put food on the table.
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Programme Coordinator Mervyn Abrahams said households are faced with a choice between hunger and debt.
"What women tell us, in the townships where we obtain most of our data, is that there are two ways in which households deal with this predicament [the rising cost of food].
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"They either cut back on the amount of food that they eat or secondly, they have to start borrowing money and they have to borrow money from money lenders at quite a high-interest rate in order to put food on the table," Abrahams explained.
Abrahams said with the proposed increases in electricity tariffs and transport South African households' ability to afford food will be significantly affected.
