“SASSA R350 is nothing to celebrate” – ActionSA bashes Ramaphosa

ActionSA National Spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni says the party rejects the malicious and misleading claims by President Cyril Ramaphosa that SASSA may be removed if the ruling party loses power in the elections this year.

ACTIONSA CRITICISES THE RULING PARTY

“This type of fearmongering is typical of the ruling party, who are now resorting to outright lies to prevent an electoral loss.”

Lerato

On Monday, Ramaphosa, while addressing an ANC in Mbombela, said the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and social grants (SASSA) may be scrapped if they lose power.

“The irony is that it is the ruling party that is unable to expand the social grant as it has overly indebted South Africa while its officials stole public money. A R350 grant is nothing to celebrate as ActionSA believes the people of South Africa deserve more,” Lerato criticised.

PLAN FOR SASSA R350 GRANTS BY ACTIONSA

“ActionSA unequivocally supports social grants to protect the most vulnerable in our society.”

Lerato

ALSO READ: ‘R4 500’: ANCYL President Collen Malatji on R350 grant increase

Instead of removing social grants, she says an ActionSA government would, in fact, expand them while introducing a new Universal Basic Income Stimulus (UBIS) to replace the meagre R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant.

“We believe a UBIS could be funded through budget reprioritisation and tackling corruption. Our proposed UBIS will be calculated on the food poverty line in year,” she said, listing that:

1. at the lower-bound poverty line in year,
2. and at the upper-bound poverty line in year.
3. This will not only support vulnerable South Africans but stimulate the economy and help to create jobs through the multiplier effect.

ALSO READ: Late SASSA payments cripple South African budgets

PARTY BELIEVING IN JOB CREATION TO END ECONOMIC INJUSTICE

As a party which advocates for economic justice, Lerato says ActionSA believes that social grants play an important role in supporting the most marginalised in the communities, and therefore supports increasing and improving its rollout.

“However, our success in government should be judged on reducing this number, by providing opportunities for South African adults to work and support their families. We should never celebrate the millions of South Africans that depend on grants for their survival. The only real way out of poverty is through expanding access to jobs and opportunities for upward mobility.
“ActionSA will continue to work to bring true economic justice to all people in South Africa, which many have not felt thirty years into democracy. We believe the upcoming elections are the best opportunity to bring South Africa onto a path of prosperity where we lift our people out of poverty and offer them the dignity they deserve,” she explained.

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