President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that they are “mindful of the proven benefits of the grant” and that the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant will be extended till the end of March 2023.
According to the data, approximately 90% to 95% of those who applied have been processed for the grant. Around 15 million people applied and thus far 10 million of those applicants have been approved for the grant.
Systems will be implemented to ensure that all recipients receive their grants and that there are no delays in payments.
Currently, 18 million individuals receive social grants from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), which estimates to be a third of the country’s population. These statistics prove that South Africans require help from the government through social grants and job creation.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the extension of the Covid-19 SRD grant. The federation believes that it provides a foundation for a basic income grant.
A basic income grant will provide relief to over 10 million unemployed individuals.
According to COSATU, the budget needs to enhance it and narrow its gap with the food poverty line.
The union suggests that Sassa’s delivery system be shifted to electronic payments and that government may provide those grant recipients with training programmes to help them find and create jobs.
