2023 budget: Black Sash wants child support grant increased to over R800
The human rights group said such an increase would counter South Africa's high inflation which translates to the rising cost of living.
Picture: Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Human rights group Black Sash has called for the National Treasury to double the cost of the child support grant from R480 to over R800.
The human rights group believes a higher child support grant would help achieve good nutrition from infancy.
The renewed calls for an increase in social grants came on the eve of Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s budget speech.
READ: Sassa worried about low number of child support grant top-up beneficiaries
The organisation believes poor South African communities need to hear some good news in the face of rising costs of living, including high food prices.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana will have to walk a tightrope as he tries to stabilise the public purse while trying to meet public expectations.
This includes calls for lower taxes, higher wages and higher social support from the government.
Director at Black Sash Rachel Bukasa said the National Treasury needs to raise social grants to meet the high inflation rate.
"I’m sure not only people on grants but the rest of us are feeling the impact of inflation.”
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While Bukasa welcomes the government’s decision to extend the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant, she expressed worry that the labour market wasn’t expanding fast enough to solve the crisis of joblessness.
“While they are figuring out the job creation scenario, we cannot allow our people to be dying.”
The organisation added that it will also wait with bated breath for an announcement of a new universal basic income grant that would serve as a permanent social net that would see government assist the unemployed to combat poverty.