Calls For the R350 Grant to Become a Basic Income Grant
The call has been made for the R350 Covid-19 grant to remain permanent even once the country is free of the virus. The #PayTheGrant Campaign has been started to assist South African’s in fighting for the permanency of the Social Relief of Distress Grant.
The R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant is scheduled to end soon and people are not happy. South African citizens are calling for the grant to be made permanent.
The grant was originally started to aid people who are in struggling situations during the pandemic, and as the lockdown period has eased the government has repeatedly extended the grant but, it said to officially come to an end .
The #PayTheGrants Campaign has been started in order to fight for the permanency of the R350 grant.
People have said to be relying on the grant to keep themselves fed and looked after since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic but, receiving the grant has made them realize how much they need it.
Their has been constant requests for the extension of the grant and the government is being accused of being “cruel” and “playing games” with the citizens of South Africa, because of the constant last minute decisions regarding its extention.
The #PayTheGrant Campaign in currently looking as the more permanent implementation of the grant as a basic income grant.
Julia Eccles a member of the #PayGrants Campaign explains:
Our campaign is looking for a permanent solution in the form of a basic income guarantee and we are asking that the R350 grant be continued until such a time we have the basic income grant.
Though making the grant permanent would be ideal, there are still many other things that need to be taken into account. The country would need to restructure the budget in order to accommodate for this.
As of currently, 65% of South Africa’s wealth is sitting with 10% of the population, and the #PayGrants campaign says:
What is urgently needed is a wealth tax in order for us to do social spending and empower people and build a robust economy.
So everyone will receive the grant and it would be returned back to the government through tax.
As of now no decision has been with regards to making the grant permanent but the call for it has been made and South Africa will soon know whether the R350 grant will remain a support system for them.
