ramaphosa speech

On Sunday, the President announced that the youth of South Africa, aged 18 to 34, will be eligible for the vaccine in September. The number of vaccination sites is set to increase with the online vaccine registration service also seeing improvements soon.

With target numbers nearing a million for the vaccinations in the education sector, these inoculations could then not be finished on time. The Department of Basic Education has now announced that they'll be extending the deadline.

The Easter weekend is days away and Government has had to make some changes to the lockdown restrictions, which includes an alcohol ban. Fears of a third wave are now emerging.

Now that Government has rolled out support for the vulnerable during the pandemic, calls have come for Government to introduce a more permanent solution. Black Sash has started a campaign to work towards having Government introduce a Basic Income Grant.

Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, has confirmed that SASSA will not be extending top ups for grants but that the Special Relief Distress Grant will indeed be extended until next year. Government has received calls from organisations to extend the grant top ups and to also have the R350 grant increased.

President Ramaphosa, when announcing that the the Special Relief of Distress R350 grant would be extended until January, also made it clear that top-ups will not continue to be made on grants from SASSA. SASSA also previously announced that they would be extending temporary grants until December.