“I Don’t Like Our Current Government”: SA Reacts to 37-Year-Old Mother of 9 Begging for Social Grant
- A 37-year-old mother of nine children has been drowning in poverty so much that she had to give away some of her kids
- The lady explained her tough life in an interview with a reporter after her neighbours sought help from a journalist
- Social media users were conflicted about the woman’s story and shared their opinions in a thread of comments
A woman from the Eastern Cape shared her heartbreaking story of having to raise her nine children in poverty.
Source: Getty Images
The lady had not received any help from the government financially since last November until a news journalist recently uncovered the story.
SA reacts to 37-year-old mother of 9 begging for social grant
A 37-year-old mother of nine children, Liziwe Mgxekwa from the Eastern Cape amazed many with her heartbreaking story. The lady has not received any help from SASSA since last November because her kids lack the necessary documentation to grant the beneficiary status.
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Liziwe Mgxekwa explained that she now lives in an electricity-free shack since 2022 after her home got destroyed. Neighbours shared that the woman was promised a proper home but officials failed to deliver.
A journalist from NewzRoom Afrika uncovered the story and interviewed the mother of nine who sent three of her nine children to relatives. Mgxekwa earns a living by assisting different households domestically:
“I help my neighbours domestically whether it’s washing the dishes so that they can give me leftover food to feed my children or money to buy groceries.”
Her eldest son dropped out in Grade 10 after getting involved in a car accident. The young man shared his frustrations of not being able to help out at home.
The rest of the children are often sent home from school for not wearing the proper uniform. Mgxekwa explained that her kids survive off of hand-me-downs from the eldest child and neighbours.
Mgxekwa’s neighbour, Nolitha Diliza called Newz Room Afrika to uncover the story:
“It really pained me to see the situation especially when it came to the kids, it was very evident that they were struggling. They go to school on an empty stomach. I sometimes give them clothes from the ones my children no longer wear. Her situation is very bad.”
SASSA recently visited Mgxekwa with groceries and promised to deposit money into her bank account for the next three months until she sorts out her children’s documentation.
Watch the TikTok video below:
Child support grant eligibility
The Child Support Grant is designed to assist needy caregivers in raising the children they look after. To qualify, you must be the child's primary caregiver, such as a parent, grandparent, or a child over 16 heading a family.
If you are not the biological parent, you must provide proof of guardianship through an affidavit, social worker’s report, or a school principal’s letter. You must be a South African citizen or permanent resident, earning no more than R52,800 per annum if single or R105,600 if married. The child must be under 18, live with you, and not be in state care. The grant provides R530 per month per child, but you cannot claim for more than six non-biological children.
SA reacts to mother of 9 begging for social grant
Social media users were conflicted by the woman’s story and shared their thoughts in a thread of over 6.3K comments:
Source: Getty Images
@Zamahabile Sithebe wrote:
“There is no logical reason why somebody should have nine whole kids!”
@Noziiii 🐝 pointed out:
“One thing about people who are struggling financially is they will have kids.”
@Zenobia Isaacs decided:
“The members standing there must help her. You can never have nine kids and make it someone else problem move to the city come find a job.”
@Kennello commented:
“Very fertile in the belly and not in the head.”
@Centia_khoza shared:
“Having nine kids without any type of source of income should be a crime.”
@Deidre Jacobs suggested:
“They can help her get her tubes tied yes.”
@onthou_leonardo highlighted:
“I don’t like our current government but blaming the government for your own actions doesn’t make any sense.”
3 More stories by Briefly News
- A young South African gent shared his traumatising experience of growing up poor in a detailed TikTok video.
- Mzansi was pained to see a homeless mother of three attacked by Cape Town storms after her siblings sold the family home.
- A young lady bought groceries for her family using her NSFAS allowance during a rough patch at home.
Updated by Hilary Sekgota, Human Interest HOD at Briefly News
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Source: Briefly News
