Expert says child grant must be increased

Against the background of 40% of South Africans of working age unemployed and 55% living in dire poverty, the country’s R530 child-support grant – serving as a safety net to an estimated 13.2 million children – is 30% below the food poverty line of R760, according to an expert.

A destitute widow, Sarah Hlongwane, living in a one-room makeshift brick structure at Maponyane informal settlement, near Marlboro Gardens, this week spoke of how she took care of her family of 12 children – solely relying on the child support grant.

“When totalling up the grant money, it comes to R2 500 per month. But this is not enough to buy food for R1 500, spend R600 on school transport and the rest goes towards rent,” Hlongwane told The Citizen.

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As the government of national unity (GNU) has proposed expanding the basket of essential food items exempt from value-added tax (VAT), Mervyn Abrahams, programme coordinator of the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity (PEJD) group, maintains that poverty alleviation would require a multipronged approach.

Beating hunger

While welcoming the GNU’s plan on adding more food items to be VAT exempted, Abrahams said it would be prudent to:

• Cap administered electricity tariffs and fuel levy prices; and

• Increase the child support grant to be in line with the food poverty line of R760.

“In the context of such high unemployment, social security becomes the only means to keep people above hunger and absolute starvation – becoming the only safety net.

“But even those on social grants are not able to afford a sufficient and nutritious basket of food,” said Abrahams.

He said the PEJD tracked the price of 44 basic foods, which most low-income households would attempt to buy, “should they have enough money”.

“At the end of June, that basket stood at R5 257.77

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“Although a decline, compared to the cost of the basket of the previous month, it is still way too high when we consider other essential goods, such as electricity, transport and debt servicing, which have increased above inflation,” he explained.

Abrahams said the child support grant was “way too little for a mother to provide sufficient food for her child”. “Currently, the child support grant is standing at R530,” added Abrahams.

“According to our research, on average it would cost R935 to feed a child. Now, when we look at that, what it means is that the child support grant of R530 is 30% below the food poverty line of R760.

“It is also 43% below the average cost to secure a basic nutritious diet for a child.

“Due to the low value of the child support grant and the fact that it cannot provide sufficient money to feed a child a proper meal, we believe that the child support grant should be set at the food poverty line – considering that it is in the main being used to buy food.

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“When we consider the low level of the child support grant, it is not surprising that South Africa suffers from massive stunting levels in boys under five – running into about 30% – and in girls, to about 25%.”

Stunting, said Abrahams, was the outcome of chronic undernutrition, with a major impact on children. “Some of the cognitive impacts are almost very difficult to reverse, once they have set in.

“Children who are stunted – eating the least amount of nutritious food – do not do well in our educational system. Their educational outputs are far below what is expected.

“We also expect most of them to be attending clinics and hospitals more often because of exposure to diseases.