Malema wants social grants to start at R4 500, promises allowance for unemployed graduates

With South Africa’s elections often serving as a stage for political parties to put their best foot forward, promises to win voters’ support are taking centre stage.

Malema, on Saturday at the party’s provincial manifesto launch in the North West, promised a raft of measures to tackle the challenges facing young South Africans, including support for unemployed graduates, while arguing that the current social grants, particularly the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, are not enough.

The SRD grant started at R350 in May 2020, but now pays R370. Malema said this amount is too little for anyone to survive given the cost of living.

We do not want the SRD grant just to be permanent, but we want it to increase, because what can one buy with R350?

Malema also addressed the issue of pensioners and the cost of living.

Old age pensioners must not pay for electricity; everyone who is a Sassa recipient must not pay for electricity, because when they give you social grants, it is because you are struggling, but then they come back and steal it with water and electricity.

He further stated that the government must provide either jobs or an allowance for the unemployed.