Malema wants social grants to start at R4 500, promises allowance for unemployed graduates
With South Africa’s elections often serving as a stage for political parties to put their best foot forward, promises to win voters’ support are taking centre stage.
With the upcoming local government elections set for 4 November, parties are already rolling out their pitches to South Africans, with EFF leader Julius Malema putting the country’s youth firmly in his sights.
Malema, on Saturday at the party’s provincial manifesto launch in the North West, promised a raft of measures to tackle the challenges facing young South Africans, including support for unemployed graduates, while arguing that the current social grants, particularly the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, are not enough.
Social grant for the unemployed is too little
The SRD grant was introduced during the Covid pandemic as emergency support for unemployed and vulnerable South Africans. What was initially intended as a temporary lifeline has endured well beyond the pandemic, becoming an important source of income for millions of people amid persistent unemployment and economic hardship.
The SRD grant started at R350 in May 2020, but now pays R370. Malema said this amount is too little for anyone to survive given the cost of living
Social grants for unemployed graduates
Malema told voters that no party has the legal right to take Sassa away, and the EFF will ensure the source of income for millions of households remains in place.
“We want graduates to be employed; if they are not given jobs, they must be given a graduate allowance,” he said.
“They [ANC] played with us; they said education pays, their education does not pay; it is only EFF education that will pay – if we do not give you a job, we give you a graduate allowance. This will also motivate others to go to school because they will see that indeed education pays.”
Free electricity
On the same day, he addressed EFF supporters in Mpumalanga, where he also took a moment to slam the amount of social grants, citing that elders in the country are responsible for raising many grandchildren. Therefore, the R2 400 and R2 420 old age recipients receive per month is too little. He wants the grants to start at R4 500.
