South Africa
'Extension of Covid-19 grant an election ploy' - AfriForum─── 06:45 Thu, 02 Mar 2023
The civil rights organisation AfriForum says the government's plan to extend the period of payment of the R350 Covid-19 social relief of distress grant well into 2024, "is nothing more than an election ploy".
In a statement, AfriForum says extending the grant is an expenditure the government simply cannot afford. To oppose the plan, the organisation submitted written comments to the Department of Social Development.
"In his recent budget speech, the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, acknowledged the pressing issue of the government’s large and growing budget deficit," says the campaign officer of AfriForum, Ernst van Zyl.
"The increase in poverty and unemployment had less to do with the Covid-19 pandemic, and more to do with the government’s destructive lockdown policies and the unaddressed corruption. The roots of the problem at hand are much deeper than just a virus and the nature of the problem means that the South African government will not be able to solve it through money handouts – especially handouts the government cannot afford.
"With the national elections occurring in 2024, one cannot help but interpret the ANC government’s hard pressing to extend the period of payment for this grant into 2024 as an election ploy to retain votes."
