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

EFF leader Julius Malema has 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.

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?

On the same day, he addressed EFF supporters in Mpumalanga, where he also took a moment to slam the amount of social grants, citing that elders in the country are responsible for raising many grandchildren. Therefore, the R2 400 and R2 420 old age recipients receive per month is too little. He wants the grants to start at R4 500.