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The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is spending up to R5 500 per pupil to provide much-needed uniforms to learners in the Eastern Cape.
According to the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development, hundreds of pupils from across the province will soon benefit from the SRD (Social Relief of Distress) School Uniform assistance programme which will officially be available later this week, 1 February.
Spokesperson for the department, Mphumzi Zuzile, told The Citizen parents who were experiencing extreme financial difficulties were encouraged to go to their nearest Sassa office and apply for the SRD uniform programme. He said that a social worker would then conduct an assessment.
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Social development MEC, Bukiwe Fanta, explained: “The programme will be made available for children whose prevailing economic circumstances qualify for the provision of SRD School Uniform.
“They must fall below the poverty line as determined by the Statistics South Africa. School uniform caters for learners from Grade R (in instances where uniform is required) until they reach Grade 12.
“Children are able to receive school uniform in a two-year cycle subject to qualifying criteria.”
Zuzile said that the uniform packs cost around R5500 for girls and R5300 for boys.
“Each pack for girls contain 2 tunics, 2 shirts, 3pairs of socks. 3 pairs of underwear, 2 vests, 1 pair of shoes, 1 pair of gumboots, a raincoat, a blazer, 1 jerseys (pullovers and long sleeves), PP shorts and shirt, and a tracksuit.
“For the boys, it is the same but instead of tunics, they have 2 pairs of pants,” Zuzile said.
Zuzile said that it was important for parents to note that the programme is separate from the child grants.
In 2018, Sassa explained that under the programme “schools can identify extremely needy learners and get in touch with SASSA and the Department of Social Development to intervene”.
Then, in 2020, Sassa released a statement specifically announcing that it did not distribute free uniforms to pupils. A year later, on 25 January 2021, Sassa again warned: “The agency does not supply any stationery or school uniform but only provides social grants.”
This year, Sassa seems to be doing things differently.
Social Development in the Eastern Cape said it would also spend R35 million in the current financial year for the sanitary dignity packs.
Fanta explained that the initiative was set to target 84000 pupils from quantile 1 – 3 Schools, Special Schools and Farm Schools.
“The Department appointed four service providers to supply and deliver sanitary dignity packs to the identified Schools.”
Zuzile explained that the sanitary dignity packs contained enough sanitary towels to last each beneficiary for a year.
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“As the provincial government, we are very happy that we have finally started distributing these dignity packs. As you will all understand, girl learners especially from underprivileged homes miss a number of learning days due to lack of resources. Now, we say no girl learner will miss school ever again.”
In October last year, the Human Rights Commission in the Eastern Cape found school uniform and appearance policies infringe on pupils’ dignity, including the regulation of hair length, enforcing gender-stereotypical uniforms, and treating appearance violations as disciplinary issues.
According to the commission’s report, binary school uniforms oppressed individuality and limited self-expression, with the cost of school uniforms being prohibitive and possibly leading to discrimination.
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