ANCYL calls for R4 500 grant for unemployed graduates, wants SRD grant increased to R1 500

ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji has called on the government to introduce a R4 500 monthly grant for unemployed graduates, saying this will help them while they look for jobs. 

Malatji was speaking as the ANC Youth League celebrated its 79th anniversary at Kameel River B Stadium, Mpumalanga, over the weekend. 

“We are calling upon the ANC-led government to increase and introduce an unemployment grant. We are saying while young people are still looking for opportunities, there must be a grant that is provided for them to be able to move around and look for those opportunities.  

“We are saying while we are still looking for solutions, the R350 unemployment grant must be increased to R1 500 until issues [of employment] are resolved. Unemployed graduates must be paid R4 500 a month,” said Malatji. 

ANC needs to do more 

Deputy President Paul Mashathile said although the ruling party has achieved a “better life” for many, more still needed to be done to fight poverty, unemployment, and inequality. 

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“When we speak of unemployment, in most cases, it affects young people. So, as government, when we are busy coming up with schemes and plans to grow the economy and create jobs, we do that primarily to ensure that they can benefit the youth. 

“We want you to get jobs, but we also want you to be entrepreneurs and businesspeople. Our government has programmes to support the youth to become businesspeople and to be able to run successful businesses,” said Mashatile. 

Future of the R350 grant

The Sunday Times reported National Treasury told President Cyril Ramaphosa and his ministers that the government will have to make drastic decisions if it wants to continue paying the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant.

The publication reported that Treasury suggested that the grant could be funded by a 2% increase in VAT or the ending of dozens of government initiatives, including visible policing, the expanded public works programme, the mine health and safety inspectorate, welfare support, and environmental protection, and other intervention programmes on food security and informal settlement upgrades.

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The DA said the meeting indicated the government was unable to make the hard choices that are required to keep South Africa financially afloat. 

“Cutting expenditure on the periphery won’t work. Offering early retirement to public sector employees; and cutting back on visible policing and other essential services won’t make any difference. Cutting the size of the bloated cabinet would be a positive step, and that would need to include slimming the public service of the overpaid, underproductive management layers and not overworked front-line service providers,” said the party. 

“Decades of economic mismanagement have now come to a head. Poor economic policy choices, coupled with government veering off its stated non-aligned position have resulted in a hostile environment for investment.”

The DA said the ANC government has run out of financial road and Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has nowhere to turn. 

“It will need to cut expenditure and finance an extension of the SRD grant, without access to more borrowing. A very tough space indeed.

“Something will need to change and the best solution for South Africa would be a new government that can start the process of turning our battered economy around before it is too late.”

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