Lindiwe Zulu pushes for extension of R350 grant
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu is agitating for the extension of the R350 social relief of distress grant, which is scheduled to be terminated at the end of March, reports Business Day.
An amount of R44bn has been budgeted for in this financial year to finance the grant. Introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to help those in financial distress after losing their jobs, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana is expected to make an announcement on the extended social support system when he tables his Medium Term Budget Policy Statement in Parliament on 26 October 2022.
There has been robust debate on the introduction of a universal basic income grant, which the Treasury believes is unaffordable.
Zulu said an extension of the grant is important because the economy is not creating the necessary number of jobs.
‘The R350 is helpful to our communities, so we will be continuing to agitate for its continuation,’ Zulu said, adding that the system will be tightened to ensure that those who do not qualify for it do not benefit.
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