By Kaya 959 News
Despite the announcement of the reinstatement of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant, there is no word on when payments will be processed.
According to a spokesperson for the South African Social Security Agency or SASSA, President Cyril Ramaphosa did not announce the start date of the activation of the grant.
“We assume that there are still discussions underway as to when to start. But what we do know is that everyone who has applied will be requested to confirm their details before the grant is paid again,” the spokesperson said.
"To support those who have no means of supporting themselves, we are reinstating the Social Relief of Distress Grant to provide a monthly payment of R350 until the end of March 2022." – President Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦#RebuildSouthAfrica
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) July 25, 2021
The grant was introduced last year to assist families and communities hit hardest by the impact of the pandemic and was terminated in April this year.
Grant to run until March 2022
“This has been made possible by the slight improvement we have seen in our revenue collection. We are expanding the number of people who are eligible for this grant by allowing unemployed caregivers who currently receive a Child Support Grant to apply.
"We are expanding the number of people who are eligible for this grant by allowing unemployed caregivers who currently receive a Child Support Grant to apply." – President Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦#RebuildSouthAfrica
— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) July 25, 2021
He said this will build on the strength of SA’s existing social protection system, which is one of the greatest achievements of its democracy.
Ramaphosa said in addition to the food relief being provided by the Department of Social Development, the government is contributing R400 million to the Humanitarian Crisis Relief Fund established by the Solidarity Fund to assist with the immediate needs of affected communities.
Assistance for looted businesses
Ramaphosa also announced measures to help businesses affected by the looting that took place in parts of Gauteng and in KwaZulu-Natal a week ago.
He said the Cabinet is implementing measures to help businesses rebuild.
“The most immediate need is to ensure that those businesses that were damaged or looted are able to rebuild and reopen as quickly as possible. We are one of the few countries in the world to have a state-owned insurance company, SASRIA, which provides cover against incidents of public violence, strikes, riots and unrest,” he said.
Businesses that are insured will be covered by SASRIA, which has committed to expedite the payment of all valid claims, and is working together with private insurers to ensure that assessments are completed without delay.
Ramaphosa said the government will ensure that SASRIA is able to honour all of its obligations and will provide whatever support is necessary in this regard.
“In addition, however, some businesses that were victims of this violence may not have been insured. This includes many small and medium-sized businesses, whether formal or informal. Many of these businesses have lost everything, and will not be able to rebuild on their own,” he said.
