social grants Malema R350

President Cyril Ramaphosa with a dog and EFF leader, Julius Malema. Images: Twitter/@kasibcnews and @EFFSouthAfrica.

‘No one can survive on R350 or R450’: Malema calls for social grants to increase

Malema has called for social grants to increase saying not even President Cyril Ramaphosa’s dogs can survive on R350 or R450 per month.

social grants Malema R350

President Cyril Ramaphosa with a dog and EFF leader, Julius Malema. Images: Twitter/@kasibcnews and @EFFSouthAfrica.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader, Julius Malema has called for social grants to increase saying no child and adult can survive on R350 or R450 per month in South Africa due to the rising cost of living.

Malema reiterated his call during the first day of the debate on the State of Nation Address (SONA) on Tuesday, 14 February.

MALEMA CALLS FOR SOCIAL GRANTS TO INCREASE

Malema said the fact that South Africa has close to 20 million people who depend on social grants is not a cause for celebration, especially when viewed against the fact that even the current social grants do not eliminate poverty.

ALSO READ: SONA 2023: Ramaphosa CONFIRMS Basic Income Grant for SA

“There is absolutely no child and definitely no adult who can survive and thrive with R350 or R450 per month worse in a country with a rising cost of living. Not even the dogs of the presiding President survive on R450 per month,” he said.

Malema also said the form of social assistance provided by government since 1994 has not been impactful in reducing poverty because the current government is incapable of creating jobs and eliminating poverty.

ALSO READ: Basic Income Grant for SA ‘will be worth over three times more’ than R350 grant

RAMAPHOSA CONFIRMS BASIC INCOME GRANT FOR SA

While delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA), Ramaphosa said around 60 percent of the country’s budget is spent on what is known as the social wage, providing various forms of support, basic services and assistance to households and individuals to combat poverty and hunger.

ALSO READ: ‘To cushion the poor’: Social grants set to INCREASE, R350 SRD to CONTINUE

“Work is underway to develop a mechanism for targeted basic income support for the most vulnerable, within our fiscal constraints.
This will build on the innovation we have introduced through the SRD Grant, including linking  the data that we have across the government to make sure we reach all those who are in need,” he said.

Furthermore, Ramaphosa said to counter the rising cost of living, the Social Relief of Distress Grant, which is currently set at R350 and reportedly reaches around 7.8 million people, will continue.

“We will ensure that existing social grants are increased to cushion the poor against rising inflation,” he said.

ALSO READ: Black Sash calls for R350 SRD grant to be increased