PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has given hope amid despair to millions of poor South African benefiting from the monthly R350 COVID-19 social relief grant.
Ramaphosa announced on Thursday night during the state of the nation that the R350 grant would be extended for another three months.
“We have decided to extend the period for the Special COVID-19 Grant of R350 by a further three months,” Ramaphosa said.
“This has proven to be an effective and efficient short-term measure to reduce the immediate impact on the livelihoods of poor South Africans.”
Ramaphosa further announced that government has also decided to extend the COVID-19 TERS benefit until 15 March 2021 only for those sectors that have not been able to operate.
He added that the conditions of this extension and the sectors to be included will be announced after consultations with social partners at NEDLAC.
“The social and economic relief package that we introduced in April last year is the largest intervention of its kind in our history,” he said.
“It identified measures worth a total of R500 billion –or about 10% of our GDP –to provide cash directly to the poorest households, to provide wage support to workers and to provide various forms of relief to struggling businesses.”
A total of 18 million people, or close to one-third of the population, received additional grant payments through government’s relief measures.
Ramaphosa said it was estimated that the grant has lifted more than 5 million people above the food poverty line, helping to alleviate hunger in a moment of great crisis.
(SOURCE: INSIDE POLITICS)