Five million people have received R350 Covid-19 grant – Lindiwe Zulu

Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu says, so far, five million people have been paid the R350 special Covid-19 relief grant.

Zulu delivered an executive statement to the National Assembly on Thursday to give MPs an update on government’s social relief efforts during the country’s lockdown.

Zulu said the special Covid-19 grant alleviated the day-to-day challenges for those who received the funds.

She also reiterated that the special grant would be administered until October.

“This social relief stimulus package has no equivalent in South Africa’s history both qualitatively (focused on unemployment) and in scale (the Covid-19 pandemic has grown South Africa’s unemployment figure to beyond ten point two (10.2) million). To date, we have received seven point eight (7.8) million Covid-19 SRD grant applications.

“The special Covid-19 SRD grant payments have duly been paid into the accounts of five (5) million of these applicants,” she said.

In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the R500-billion social and economic support package to mitigate the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The stimulus package amounts to some 10% of the country’s GDP.

A total of R130 billion of the amount would be supported by reprioritising funds from South Africa’s existing budget.

Also read: Sassa begins double payments on outstanding R350 grant

Previously disqualified

Zulu said applicants who were previously disqualified were now being looked at again.

“Therefore, all the applicants that were previously disqualified due to 10 database errors are being reconsidered. As we do this, the number of applicants who are eligible for the special COVID-19 SRD grant is increasing. These are being notified of their payment of the special Covid-19 grant,” she said.

In this regard, Zulu said payments for the months of June and July (totalling R700) have started.

Approximately one million applicants in this category are receiving their payments, Zulu said.

“While we are noting that the special Covid-19 grant may be addressing the money-metric dimensions of the applicants’ lives, increasingly the beneficiaries are reporting that this grant is opening up other opportunities that they previously could not access. In other words, the special grant is uncovering “human capabilities” among its beneficiaries,” Zulu said.

She also said the grant is adding to the efforts of the “ANC-led government to undo the historical social and economic injustices”.

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