Loadshedding.com
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is receiving an increasing number of complaints about the South African government’s inability to pay social grants to vulnerable beneficiaries, including Child Support Grants, Old Age Pensions, and Disability Grants. Since November 2022, many beneficiaries have been turned away from SASSA pay-points and informed that there is no money in their accounts.
Furthermore, the DA has uncovered evidence that the ANC government’s failure to provide life-sustaining social grants may not be accidental. The 2023 budget review, published by the government, indicates that the ANC plans to start loadshedding social grants that impoverished people rely on to survive, beginning on 1 March 2024. On page 35 of the budget review, the government announced its intention to abolish the social relief of distress grant entirely.
It is apparent that decades of ANC theft and corruption have resulted in the government running out of money for grants, similar to the corruption at Eskom that caused South Africa to run out of electricity. The DA warns that the ANC’s plan to take away social grants could plunge the country into further chaos, as 18 million South Africans rely on social grants to support themselves and their families.
To address the ANC’s intention to commence loadshedding social grants, the DA is working on an emergency plan to ensure that the grants remain funded. The DA is committed to protecting social grants from the ANC’s plan to take them away and has a track record of responsibly managing public finances to ensure that social grants are paid sustainably and reliably.
The fact that decades of corruption have led to the ANC government running out of money for grants serves as an urgent reminder that they must be voted out to save the country. The national election will take place in March 2024, the same month that the ANC intends to take away social grants. Voters can protect social grants by selecting a responsible and non-corrupt DA government that will ensure that there is always money available to fund life-saving grants.
It is essential for South Africans, including grant beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, who understand the urgency of protecting social grants to unite behind a new, caring DA government that is built around prudent financial management. Only such a government will be able to prevent the ANC’s plan to take away social grants and ensure social stability.
Original release: https://www.da.org.za/2023/03/as-sassa-fails-to-pay-vulnerable-beneficiaries-da-exposes-anc-plan-to-start-loadshedding-social-grants-on-1-march-2024
Load Shedding Reporter 
