Afrika Mayibuye calls for Commission of Inquiry into ‘Black Poverty’

Floyd Shivambu, President of Afrika Mayibuye Movement.

The Afrika Mayibuye Movement says it will call for a Commission of Inquiry into what it calls ‘Black Poverty’.

This is part of its programme of action as it goes into its inaugural National Convention planned for the University of Johannesburg’s Soweto campus this weekend.

In 2025, the World Bank estimated the poverty rate in South Africa to be around 68%. This is despite the government’s extensive spending on social assistance.

Over 30 million people depend on some form of assistance from government.

Afrika Mayibuye President Floyd Shivhambu says unlike the commissions that the country has had, they will ensure that their commission’s recommendations are binding and are followed through with concrete action.

“We need to speak to what causes black poverty and how we can permanently remove black poverty in our community because black people continue to be the poorest of all the population groups in SA. We have produced a substantial policy position on how this commission should be handled and how its outcomes should be binding and effective in addressing poverty instead of the futile commissions that have taken place thus far.”

The Commission of Inquiry into the Black Poverty Question is long overdue! We demand Total Freedom and Emancipation Now! Mayibuye iAfrika! pic.twitter.com/2Bnfsl815C

— Floyd Shivambu (@FloydShivambu) November 12, 2025