Gillion Bosman, MPP, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development says:
I welcome the President’s announcement that the Covid-19 special grant will be extended for a further three months. This follows our call this week to Minister Lindiwe Zulu of national Social Development for an extension and for grants to be paid correctly, on-time.
The Minister and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) must now give real meaning to the President’s words. Alternative ways must be found to accommodate the over 9 million recipients of these grants, which are vital to economic growth, opportunities, and recovery. National government must work with us to restore dignity following an unduly harsh, prolonged lockdown.
The Covid-19 grant is a far better alternative than food parcels. Given the ANC’s legacy of providing food parcels to connected cadres and comrades, the grant provides an alternative, direct lifeline away from the hands of politicians.
I still await Minister Zulu and SASSA’s response on the over 60,000 grant appeals, and will further move a motion at the sitting of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament next week to further highlight the crisis of 75% of grant appeals being rejected. It is up to us, as representatives of the residents in this province, to know the full extent of the appeals and current standing of the cases thereof.
