Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, says South Africa is becoming a welfare state due to high number of people on social grants. Image: SABC News
Public Protector: SA is becoming a welfare state
Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, says millions of people depended on social grants which leads to low economic growth.
Public Protector, Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka, says South Africa is becoming a welfare state due to high number of people on social grants. Image: SABC News
After 30 years of independence from white minority rule in 1994, South Africa is becoming a welfare state, said Public Protector (PP) Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka.
The Independent Online reported that, Gcaleka said the ever-increasing number of people relying on social grants means that the country is constantly declining with no economic growth, becoming a social welfare state.
ALSO READ: SASSA reminder: the next social grants to pay
SOCIAL GRANTS LEAD TO LOW ECONOMIC GROWTH: PUBLIC PROTECTOR
“The living conditions in South Africa are so that the social grants are on the increase. Personally, I do not think that is something to be proud of as a country. It leads to the decline in the economy because it means we are becoming a social (welfare) state with most people unemployed,” said Gcaleka while addressing the FW d Klerk Foundation annual conference in Cape Town on Friday.
She said despite the Statistician-General’s report that shows an improvement in the lives of people, including the provision of basic services, there was still a lot of work to be done in some of the areas.
ALSO READ: SASSA: next payment dates for February, 2024
SERVICE DELIVERY IN EC: A PICTURE SA CAN’T BE PROUD OF SAYS GCALEKA
“Looking at the service delivery aspect, I have mentioned that the Statistician-General says there is improvement. However, we continue to issue reports, and one of them is on the state of service delivery in the Eastern Cape… it gives us a picture that we cannot be proud of, where human beings still drink in dams where animals drink,” the PP said.
The Public Protector said South Africa cannot be proud that millions of its people depended on the government’s social security system. Over 18 million people receive old-age, disability, child support, and foster care grants.
Another eight million receive the R350 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, which was introduced in 2020 following the outbreak of Covid-19.
ALSO READ: WHAT to do in the event of a SASSA grant delay in February 2024
SOCIAL RELIEF DISTRESS GRANTS TO BE EXTENDED UNTIL 2025
Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana announced in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in November that the SRD grant would be extended until 2025 while the government was reviewing it. However, civil society and other parties want the basic income grant above R350, saying it is currently outside the line with inflation.
The Public Protector says approximately 55.5% of the population is still living in poverty at the national upper poverty line while a total of 13.8 million people (25%) are experiencing food poverty.
