By Thokozani Mazibuko
- DPM says around 30 000 of the 86 000 elderly, deserve to receive E500 social grant
- Says guidelines essential as elderly payment process register every elderly reaching 60 years as a beneficiary
The Deputy Prime Minister, Thulisile Dladla has said that some elderly who are undeservingly receiving the E500 Social Grant, use it to buy dog food.
“There is a need for guidelines to be in place at the soonest possible time as from the 86 000 beneficiaries of the elderly social grant, only around 30 000 deserve it while the rest are financially well.
I came across one of the elderlies who happens to be a beneficiary of the social grant and when I asked him how he uses the E500 grant he is receiving from the Government, he told me that he uses it to buy his dogs, food,” the DPM told the House of Assembly.
The DPM had been called upon to respond to Lobamba Lomdzala, MP Marwick Khumalo who moved a motion whereby he asked the Deputy Prime Minister to clearly explain her ministry’s official position regarding the payment of the elderly social grants to those pensioners who also receive monthly pensions from other sources.
“What you are asking me is very difficult and highly confidential as it touches on finances. There are still no guidelines in place even after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) enquired about them.
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The problem began here when the Government undertook to pay the Elderly the social grant, there were no guidelines and everyone who reached 60 years was registered as a beneficiary without considering if the country’s purse could sustain that.
The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out to the House of Assembly that there is a need to align the guidelines with section 72 of the African Protocol which the country signed recently.
“According to this section, those who qualify for the social grant would be those who have had no employment in all their lives.
It also addresses the need for the government to also consider some people who are in devastating situations who also desperately require social grants.
According to what we signed for, it would not mean you qualify for the social grant just because you have reached the age of 60,” clarified the DPM.
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Further, the DPM pointed out that many social ills need to be addressed concerning social grants as people of many ages are in dire need of them for survival.
“I am not going to dictate to anyone, no one would scare me, my office is very much responsible to the vulnerable in the country, this needs to be fixed by next year so that the many ills are addressed,” DPM Dladla assured the House of Assembly, yesterday.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the Elderly Grant cannot increase the social grant under the current conditions
