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The DA has requested an update from the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on its investigation into the persistent crisis surrounding the disbursement of social grants by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

Last year, the DA lodged a formal complaint with the Commission following a series of payment failures which left vulnerable social grant recipients in distress.

The latest payment failure, which has left 150 000 beneficiaries without their January payments, is not only an indictment against SASSA and Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu but should also inspire the SAHRC to conclude its investigation as a matter of urgency.

These perpetual payment failures erode South Africa’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens’ constitutional rights to human dignity, life, healthcare, food, water, and social security, as well as infringing on the rights of children as they are disproportionately affected and will suffer the most long-term consequences.

The DA’s comprehensive social development policy has a number of recommendations to better support vulnerable citizens, including:

Safeguarding social grants from corruption and increasing child support grants to match the official food poverty line;

Supporting the elderly by promoting financial literacy, the auto-enrolment with an opt out options in workplace pension schemes to encourage saving for retirement as this lays the foundation for their financial resilience in their retirement, and regulating old-age homes to protect against abuse;

Expanding the list of VAT-exempt food items to ensure essential items remain affordable for the most vulnerable; and

Empowering communities to independently cultivate, market and sell their produce through food gardens supported by food hubs in order to foster self-reliance while simultaneously addressing immediate hunger and nutrition concerns.

The DA will continue to do everything in our power to assist the country's poor and vulnerable, including calling SASSA and the Minister to Parliament to explain their latest failure and why their previous measures to safeguard against glitches failed.

Issued by Bridget Masango MP - DA Shadow Minister of Social Development