It is expected that 10 million people will be without crucial support once the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant comes to an end in March 2022.
The SRD grant has also sparked a debate around the implementation of a Basic Income Grant in the country in order to support vulnerable members of our society.
Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu believes that the Basic Income Grant will be implemented in South Africa.
She explained that debates in parliament have taken place around the topic and the implementation of a Basic Income Grant has been supported by various quarters of society.
Zulu said, “Yes we can accept that this is going to happen. What the president has asked us to do, he said to us be creative, be innovative, find out how other countries have been doing it but it's got to be done because we need to pull people out of poverty, unemployment and inequality”.
The minister believes that the state has to empower people and the Basic Income grant will allow the state to do this.
As President Ramphosa prepares to deliver his sixth State Of The Nation Address, Zulu says she hopes the president will announce the continuation of the SRD grant.
“I'm hoping that it's going to continue, the people are looking out for it and we can promise South Africans from a Department of Social Development that we want people to be empowered so even if they get the R350 we're gonna look at how else can they be empowered through job creation” concluded Zulu.
