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President Jacob Zuma's wife Nompumelelo Ntuli. Photo: Bongiwe Mchunu
President Jacob Zuma’s spokesman, Mac Maharaj, has come to the defence of one of the president’s wives, Nompumelelo Ntuli-Zuma, who had suggested that child support grants be scrapped and the money used instead for old-age pensions.
Maharaj said social grants remained the government’s most effective poverty alleviation programme.
The New Age reported on Thursday that Ntuli-Zuma, speaking at a function in KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday, had said: “Most young teen mothers dump their babies with their grandmothers, while gallivanting around and abusing the grants money” on luxury items, including cellphone airtime.
She was echoing the sentiments of KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Agriculture Meshack Radebe, who had said he would write to Parliament to lobby for child support grants to be stopped.
Ntuli-Zuma also suggested that young mothers should be screened before they received the grants to establish whether they were using the money wisely or abusing the system.
On Thursday, Maharaj defended the First Lady’s comments, saying she had merely been “emphasising that the child support grant should not be abused and should be utilised for the purpose that they were intended, to support children, which is a standard government message”.
He noted that more than 10 million children received grants, which was “a major achievement for a developing country, especially a young democracy”.
In total, about 15 million South Africans get social assistance from the state.
While there is a perception that child support recipients misuse the money, research by, among others, the Black Sash and South African Institute of Race Relations has indicated that the majority of mothers use the grant responsibly.
Maharaj concurred, saying research over the years had shown that “the majority of child support grant beneficiaries use it appropriately and that there are children who would not go to school if it was not for social grants”.
But the government “continues to warn the beneficiaries against the abuse of the grants”.
Maharaj said this was why the Special Investigating Unit had been asked to investigate social grant fraud – to clean up the system. - Political Bureau
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REALEBOGA, wrote
i fully agree with Mrs Zuma,SASSA must really cum up with the system that will monitor these bunch of teenagers falling pregnant with our damn money. Sum use it for the right things others misuse it n brag about it how the had beers @ so n so tarven. A very strict regulation must b applied only for deserving mothers
LIZ, wrote
I FULLY AGREE!!!! CHILDREN ARE HAVING CHILDREN, ALL FOR THE GRANT MONEY. I KNOW OF A WOMAN THAT INSPIRED HER 2 DAUGHTERS OF 16 AND 18 YEARS OLD TO HAVE BABIES SO THAT GRANNY CAN GET THE GRANTS. SO MANY OF THESE "CHILDREN" GO ON DRUGS WITH THE MONEY. DON'T GIVE ANYTHING. THEY HAVE THE CHOICE IF THEY WANT TO HAVE BABIES OR NOT. WHY MUST OUR TAX MONEY BE USED TO SUPPORT THEIR SINFULL LIVES? THE CHOICE IS ON YOU YOURSELF,THEY ARE THE ONES SLEEPING WITH MEN STOP GIVING, STOP THE STREET AND FRONT DOOR BEGGING, GIVE DEATH PENALTY FOR RAPISTS AND WE WILL BE IN A BETTER COUNTRY.
Pat, wrote
Some comments are just over reacting here, may be it is because people don't like anything that carries Zuma's name. For me this woman is spot on here. Today South Africa is one of the leading countries when it comes to teenage pregnacy, and child support grant is one of the main factors leading to this problem. So Madam Zuma is right.
Pat, wrote
This woman is raising a very critical point here, so people should stop insulting her merely because they hate her husband. The reason why South Africa has a lot abandoned kids is as a result of this grant. Young women don't use contraceptives because of it and when they realise that the money is not enough, they abandon their kids and dissapear. But atleast if the government can only give vouchers, by the basic needs for the kids and also pay for their education, that can solve the problem. So Madam Zuma is right, child support grant must be scraped and a new system, like the one i have sugested here should be introduced. This can also help reduce childhood pregnancies and young women will start concerntrating on education.
Anonymous, wrote
One thing is for certain and that is that SA'S quality of education is indeed going down the tubes if the standard of the quality of the comments provided by the people giving comment below here is anything to go by. Grammar is horrific, spelling is pathetic, and some cant string a decent sentence together.Sad indeed.
Anonymous, wrote
Who de hel does she think she is?de money 4 childd grants is our tax.she is also using our tax money every month.if she said de money de goverment is giving 2 her must b cuted not social grants money.
Give it a thought, wrote
Only allow a grants for the first child or a greatly reduced grant for the second child - compromise
be Afraid, wrote
As one of Zuma`s wives or fiancees, what is she collecting a month from the very small amount of people who actually form the tax base of the country? I suspect her handout equates to peanuts compared to the poor unsuspecting cretin who is bussed in and paid to vote for her Hot Pants hubby.
A, wrote
R280 per child is indeed not much, but if a woman has 4 babies , then she can have a party with the R1120 on payday , and then dump the babies with granny for the rest of the month. When she becomes infected with HIV then she just applies for the HIV grant and increases her salary . Our government is subsidising anarchy.
Anonymous, wrote
Stop people from having more then one child. After the first child, mandatory sterilization.
Anonymous, wrote
im a citizen of SA i pay tax,and this my money you taking about,tax payers's money is more than enough to pay children grants and old age pensioners,rather say both ,u mean u want the money for u'reself and u're family?say something about crime ,leave the grants as it is...
Mlungisi El Dante Khumalo, wrote
its evident that she is living the high life and knows nothing about poverty. Those poor teens who get rapped must not get money, she is truly spoilt and mad. She speaks like an uneducated woman, not surprised at all.
Anonymous, wrote
No such shall happen , the child suport grant shall not be stoped, but i agree wen Maharaj indicate that they should be reseached made towards this matter.
Anonymous, wrote
Anonymous, wrote
SASSA must be able to access data form home affairs and sars. i have a document to fill in and that is for an employee that works but wants to claim for his children throught his wife whom he just lives with and no legal bond. clever and sly, now he get an extra R800.00 a month above his R5500.00 per month salary and still they complain that they should not be taxed on their bonusses and extra funds recieved.
Loudly Safrican, wrote
There's enough tax money for both old age and child support grants. Trouble is, it is being siphoned off to support the croniate's sushi lifestyle.
anonymous, wrote
who the hell does she think she is,after all she and the ten other wives of Zuma are eating our tax money,so tell husband to have one wife and stop wasting our money on woman and to lead by example,cause who telling not to have anymore babies at his age.
Anonymous, wrote
Don't give them money, give them vouchers to buy diapers,clothing and food for their children, assist with school fees and school uniforms. Once the child is of age to attend school, the parents funding runs out. The money is intended for "needs", not WANTS!
Anonymous, wrote
South African taxpayers pat R million a year to the support of Mr Jacob Zuma's wives and brats. If he did something functional instead of fathering brats and travelling around the world on our tax money I would support him. BUT he and his very expensive cohorts can drop dead for all I care. The money that is allocated to his gallivanting and wives could well be used to support the people who really need it. The old age grant is R1140 per month. What can you buy for that? Certainly you can never pay rent or medical bills or even enough food to prevent starvation.
Anonymous, wrote
Don't give them money, give them vouchers to buy diapers,clothing and food for their children, assist with school fees and school uniforms. Once the child is of age to attend school, the parents funding runs out. The money is intended for "needs", not WANTS!
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