Durban — The ending of the state of emergency by President Cyril Ramaphosa has seen over 3 million people being disqualified from receiving the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grants that sustained many families amid the high unemployment rate during his presidential tenure.
The grant was announced by Ramaphosa when the country went into Covid-19 lockdown and many could not make ends meet, while thousands lost their jobs.
Due to its impact on livelihoods, the distribution of the R350 grant was extended until March next year, to help many families navigate the tough economic times.
However, while unemployment rates were stagnant, Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu revealed that the number of grant beneficiaries dropped by more than 3 million.
This, according to the minister, was a result of the amendments made to the qualifying criteria that came into effect after Ramaphosa ended the state of emergency earlier this year.
The new criteria were implemented by checking the bank accounts of each applicant monthly to establish if they were receiving income flows valued at R350 or more from other sources.
It was later adjusted to R624, in line with the estimated Food Poverty Line for 2022, which deprived many from benefiting while they were not earning enough money.
Zulu said the number of people who still receive the R350 Covid-19 social relief of distress grant on a monthly basis has dropped from 10.5million people to nearly 7.5million.
The South African human rights organisation, Black Sash, said it is concerned about the decrease in the number of people who are receiving the grant.
KwaZulu-Natal regional manager Evashnee Naidu said 18 million people should qualify to access the special grant because the current number of beneficiaries is just a drop in the ocean. Moreover, she said, the unemployment statistics have not decreased, so it does not make sense for the number to decrease.
“The unemployment rate in this country is sitting at 33.9% and there is a decrease in the number of people who receive this grant monthly. More needs to be done.
“People should not be subjected to stress about whether the money would be received that month or not. Furthermore, we are appealing that this should be a permanent grant,” she said.
Naidu said the whole system needs to change and that the value of the grant should be increased to R1 000.
Ever since Ramaphosa announced the grant in May 2020, there has been one scandal after another. Vulnerable people had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning and stand in long lines to access the R350 at Post Offices. Sometimes they would spend the whole day just to get this money and some would leave without it.
During his State of the Nation Address in February, Ramaphosa extended the grant for a year, from April 1 this year until 31 March next year, and said this is to ensure that no person has to endure the pain and indignity of hunger.
The Black Sash said up to March 2022, an estimated 15.5 million people were applying monthly for the social relief of distress grant, but after the April regulations were passed, less than 10 million people applied for social assistance.
Daily News