Johannesburg – Civil Society leaders want the government to extend the time frame for the payment of the social relief of distress grant (SRD) and increase it as part of “ubuntu”.
The R350 SRD was introduced at the beginning of the lockdown to curb its effects on the unemployed and those who did not receive any form of social grant. The grants are paid by the SA Social Security Agency, and were supposed to be paid for only six months. That time period expires at the end of October, and the government is expected to make a decision on whether the grant will be paid for a longer period.
During an online media briefing on Monday, Zwelinzima Vavi, the SA Federation of Trade Unions general secretary, said: “Our call is to extend the SRD grant until a basic income guarantee is implemented, and to address the roots of poverty, inequality, and unemployment in our economy.”
He said the basic income guarantee should be R1 500.
Professor Thuli Madonsela said the grant was important social support for the poor. “During times of financial difficulty, the poor are often the first to be offloaded. We cannot let this happen. We applaud the government, thus far, for providing social relief to those in need. But recovery will not happen in a heartbeat, and we need these grants to be extended to support our economy,” she said.
“Keeping these grants is a part of ubuntu. Investing in these grants is investing in all of us. If we withdraw these grants, we would be putting a huge social burden squarely on the shoulders of women and girls. This is unjust.”
The move to have the grant extended and increased is supported by Equal Education, the Black Sash and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ), among others.
Prince Tamane, who spoke on behalf of unemployed young people, said: “We are pleading with the government to extend, and increase the grant to R585 until a universal basic income guarantee is introduced. There is no guarantee that poverty and distress will be alleviated by the end of October. The government has a responsibility to support those in need.”
Shaeera Kalla from the IEJ said they had written to national Treasury asking for an increase in the grant and for it to be made permanent.
The Star