‘The pension is too little’: Cape Town pensioner asks Ramaphosa to increase old-age grant

During his campaign ahead of the November 4 local government elections, President Cyril Ramaphosa received a warm welcome from an 80-year-old resident of Rylands, Cape Town, who asked him to increase the Older Persons Grant. He responded that something would be done about it.

In a 54-second video clip shared on the Facebook page MyANC, Ramaphosa is seen meeting elderly residents and young people during his visit to Rylands. Speaking jovially in Afrikaans, she hugged and kissed Ramaphosa, who was standing next to a young boy eager to meet him.

“Hier is my papa ANC. Ek is tagtig jaar oud,” she said. “Ek voel geëerd, maar ek wil vir jou sê: die pensioen is te min.” (“I feel honoured, but I want to tell you that the pension is too little.”)

Smiling, the president replied: “Nee man, ons gaan dit opmaak.” (“No, we will increase it.”)

She recalled seeing Ramaphosa years ago and said that he was still “oraait”. Ramaphosa visited Rylands, Delft, Mfuleni and Khayelitsha during the campaign, focusing on voting, the taxi industry and service delivery.

The appeal comes weeks after senior citizens across the country, under the banner of Pensioners of South Africa (POSA), called on the president and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to address their concerns about surviving on a state pension of R2 400 a month.

Several peaceful protests were held across the country, with pensioners calling for the grant to be increased to R5 000 a month to help them cope with rising financial difficulties. The pensioners’ pleas have also reached ActionSA’s Dereleen James, a member of the National Assembly and the Portfolio Committee on Social Development. She has called for a review of the grant, including measures to protect elderly people from fraud and exploitation.