SOUTH African president Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a three month extension of a special R350 (US$24) a month COVID-19 grant for unemployed adults who do not receive any social grant or unemployment insurance.
This comes as the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown continue to devastate the economy, entrenching extraordinarily high unemployment and poverty. While the extension, announced in Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address, has been welcomed by trade unions and civil society, it falls short. The country needs a permanent form of income support, not temporary relief, something the president himself clearly appreciates.
South Africa has an extensive social grant programme which provides income support to over 18 million of the most vulnerable: the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. Despite this, the social grant system has some serious coverage gaps. Most importantly, it excludes unemployed adults aged 18 to 59 who are physically capable of work.
The massive loss
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