ANC Wants Government to Extend R350 Relief Grant to the Unemployed
- The ANC wants the government to extend the R350 relief grant as the pressure of the national lockdown increases
- The ANC national executive committee has resolved that the government should be asked to extend the grant
- However, financial experts believe that the basic income grant should be in the region of R1 500
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The ANC has urged the government to allow unemployed people to access the R350 relief grant to help reduce the negative economic effects of Covid-19.
The temporary grant was made available last year of South Africa was hit with its first wave of Covid-19 which resulted in a national lockdown.
Now the government is being urged to reintroduce the relief grant as the pressure of the level 3 lockdown grows.
Source: Facebook
Civil society has been highly critical of the government for halting the relief grant, which has been a huge help to desperate citizens.
The ANC national executive committee had resolved that the government must extent the grant as the country grapples with the second wave of the virus.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the government would be asked to consider extending the grant but he did not reveal how much longer the lockdown will persist.
However, financial experts have suggested that the basic income grant be raised to R1 000 or R1 500.
Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that fireworks are synonymous with South Africa's festive season but a different kind of explosion made waves this past December. 2020 will go down in the echelons of history as the year that was ground to a halt by Covid-19.
While many people chose to look to festivities to inspire hope during the holiday season, soaring food prices mirrored reality. Not many people afforded the luxury of having a braai or putting that traditional gammon on their menu this past Christmas.
The average cost of a food basket for December shot up to R4 000, according to a report by Fresh Plaza. This is a whopping R520 more compared to December 2019.
In other news, calls are mounting for the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress and Caregiver grants to be extended. Briefly.co.za explores the latest stories on the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa.
Numerous individuals and organisations feel that the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress and Caregiver grant should be extended.
Some organisations even feel that the amount should be increased from R350 to R585, reports eNCA.
The Institute for Economic Justice warns discontinuation of this lifeline for many will lead to a crisis with Niel Coleman commenting:
"Imagine that a grant of R350, for a month, has to get an unemployed person and their dependents through, it's unbelievable to imagine the struggles that people have. A caregiver's grant is R500."
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Source: Briefly News
