‘Desperate’ Ramaphosa lambasted for ‘instilling fear in the poor just to retain votes’

In the run-up to the upcoming elections, the ANC is resorting to fearmongering, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety among citizens who rely on grants.

Country “might change for the worst should the ANC lose power”

Speaking in Mbombela on Monday, where the party held a ceremony to celebrate its 112th birthday in the lead-up to its January 8th Statement on Saturday, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the electorate should bear in mind that the country “might change for the worst should the ANC lose power”.

Ramaphosa said the worst that could happen if the ANC failed to attain the majority vote was the scrapping of both the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nsfas) and social grants.

He also insisted that the only way South Africans would continue to benefit from grants and financial aid schemes was if there was an ANC-led government.

However, Section 27 (1) (c) of the constitution states: “Everyone has the right to have access to social security, including if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants.”

ALSO READ: ‘I didn’t collapse at all’ – Ramaphosa dismisses ‘exaggerated’ ICU claims

“Our policies have been pro-poor. I don’t know of any other country on the continent that has committed itself to 18 million people receiving grants, young and old, as well as an additional 10 million who get grants of R350,” Ramaphosa said.

Society still living under poverty, inequality and unemployment

Political analyst Dr Bernard Sebake said the outlook of society was that the majority were still living under poverty, inequality and unemployment, in particular the youth.

“Now, if Nsfas were to be scrapped, then you are actually acting against the essence of the Freedom Charter, that says all doors of learning have to open because the majority of the poor and the working class will not be able to afford higher education,” he said.

He said knowing that a lot of livelihoods depended on these two schemes, Ramaphosa was subtly instilling fear in the poor just to retain votes.

Truth the exact opposite of Ramaphosa’s claim

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen said the truth was the exact opposite of Ramaphosa’s claim, which “reeks of growing desperation as the ANC realises that it has as little as five months left in government”.

ALSO READ: Mbalula’s admission ANC lied about Zuma’s Nkandla fire pool ‘an insult to constitution’

“The single greatest threat to the sustainability of our country’s social grants system is Ramaphosa’s ANC.

“For nearly three decades, they have looted and pillaged the public resources required to continue funding social grants,” he added.

“As the money runs out, the ANC has already been forced to cut the budget for critical services like education and healthcare. “In fact, due to incessant ANC looting, Ramaphosa’s government is already dismantling social grants.

“The child support grant, which accounts for 71% of all expenditure on grants, has dramatically declined in real terms over the past decade.

“Year-after-year, the ANC has increased this grant by as little as 2% per year, while inflation has averaged 5.2% over the past 10 years.

ALSO READ: ANC cannot be ‘airbrushed out of existence’ – Ramaphosa

“The ANC has thus been systematically cutting the child support grant by up to 3 percentage points per year for at least a decade.”

‘State must take measures to achieve realisation of rights’

Black Sash advocacy manager Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker said the constitution clearly states that everyone has the right to have access to healthcare services, including reproductive healthcare; sufficient food and water; and social security, including if they are unable to support themselves and their dependants.

“So regardless of who is in power, the state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of each of these rights,” she said.

“We advocate for comprehensive social security and we look at the constitution as a tool to ensure security for everyone.

“So, the constitution directs what the state is obligated to do in terms of comprehensive social security.”

ALSO READ: WATCH: ‘ANC defended Zuma for Nkandla, but he can’t stand Ramaphosa’ – Mbalula

Schemes set up were ANC policy

Lawyers for Human Rights director Wayne Ncube said the manner in which these schemes were set up were an ANC policy.

“The social grants as they currently stand are an exercise of the constitutional imperative. However, that doesn’t mean that it has to occur that way,” said Ncube.

“If the ANC comes back or another party comes into power and they decide to carry out that policy in another way, then they would be able to do that. But it would have to be balanced with what the constitution entails to maintain consistency.”