President Ramaphosa’s lie about social grants

Dear Editor

Last week, while delivering his January 8th statement, President Cyril Ramaphosa sought to fearmonger the electorate by claiming that social grants and the social safety net are “likely to disappear”, should the ANC be removed from office in the coming elections. This morning, in a radio interview with SAFM, a senior Postbank official debunked Ramaphosa’s lie and sought to reassure social grant recipients that grants will remain regardless of the government in office.

To cover from their failures, the ANC now seeks to misinform the electorate and coerce South Africans into not holding them to account. It is shocking and unbecoming of the President of the Republic to make such untrue remarks.

If anything, it is ANC corruption that poses an existential threat to social grants. This year already, we have learned of shocking reports of maladministration and corruption from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

We have learned that:

• More than 150 000 beneficiaries have not received their January payments due to yet another “glitch”, as SASSA cannot verify their banking details.
• SASSA has paid R141 million to 75 000 deceased recipients in the past three years.
• 5 812 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants and 33 883 other social grants were paid to fraudster civil servants during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Countless SRD recipients have been defrauded of their ID numbers and personal information, which SASSA cannot resolve, despite complaints.
The DA has been unequivocal in its support for social grants and an adequate social safety net for South Africans. Our Social Development Policy is clear that a DA-government will:

• Provide responsible financial management of the economy to protect and expand social grants.
• Increase the Child Support Grant to the official food poverty line.
• Extend the Child Support Grant to learners until they complete their National Senior Certificate.
• Extend the Child Support Grant to cover pregnant mothers to support child nutrition goals.
• Ease grant applications for disability recipients.
• Ensure that the vulnerable are protected during food price increases.
• Ensure social workers have access to necessary resources to conduct their work and improve remuneration packages to make the profession more attractive.

Rather than fearmonger, President Ramaphosa should be responsible and heed our call to launch an independent audit of all social grant recipient databases to ensure that grants are being paid to deserving recipients and that there is no fraud. Ramaphosa should also familiarise himself with the Social Assistance Act, which enshrines the right to social grants.

As we near the second and final Registration Weekend on 2-3 February 2024, voters must ensure that they are registered to vote. The DA will grow social safety as opposed to distasteful fearmongering.

Regards

Bridget Masango MP