The number of people accessing social grants increased dramatically by 966 311 from April 2002 to March 2003, a SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) report has noted.

The SAHRC released its 2002/03 fifth Economic and Social Rights report in Johannesburg yesterday, detailing the progress and shortcomings of government's measures to cater for the needs of vulnerable people.

In April 2002, the report says, the number of beneficiaries was just over four-million and this increased to just over five-million by the end of March 2003. Over 2,7-million children were registered for the Child Support Grant by the end of March 2003.

The report attributed the increase to the increased registration of Child Support Grants for children up to the age of seven.

This resulted in allocated budgets to provinces falling short to cover the increasing number of beneficiaries, which caused overspending for social security, said the report.

"Government has to be commended for putting children first and striving towards the advancement and promotion of children's rights. Government even went a step further by extending the Child Support Grant up to the age of 14 years by the year 2005/06," said the report.

However, the report lamented the inefficient delivery of social services in other parts of the country due to administrative problems, lack of proper documentation, and poor conditions at pay points as well as alleged corruption.

Due to such factors, 289 390 people were denied social assistance, in this particular financial year, it said.

The report recommended that owing to the rate of poverty, inequality and exclusion from social security, a Basic Income Grant should be introduced and Child Support Grant be extended to all children up to the age of 18 years.

However, social development director general Vusi Madonsela said social security should be looked at in its entirety such as pension, disability, foster care and care dependency, amongst others, but not only in terms of the child support grant.

"We will study the report and comment thereafter. But we should not be taking a narrow view of social protection, as there are other services we provide other than child support grants."

He said government would continue to assess the situation for child support grant in terms of age.

Turning to other rights, the report said there was year-on-year improvement in land delivery by government, especially through the Land Restitution and Land Redistribution sub-programmes.

Between 2000 and 2001 there were 12 094 settled Restitution claims, while in February 2002 there were approximately 32 000 settled claims and by March 2003, there were 36 488 settled claims recorded.

However, the report decried the shortfall in budget allocations towards land reform programmes, saying legislation alone was not enough and government should "muster political will to make expropriation practical." - BuaNews.