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By Siviwe Feketha 
9h ago
Johannesburg – The SACP has called on the government to urgently convert the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRDG), which will end this month, into a Universal Basic Income Guarantee.
The SRDG was introduced earlier this year for unemployed South African adults as part of temporary relief measures aimed at mitigating the socioeconomic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The SACP has been pushing for years for the introduction of a universal basic income guarantee and has now asked the government to convert the SRDG into it.
Speaking during the party’s Red October virtual launch, SACP Secretary General Blade Nzimande said levels of social distress that were aggravating by massive job losses warranted government interventions to ensure that help was provided to those suffering. socio-economic difficulties.
“The special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRDG) grant of R350 per month has provided a lifeline for the survival of millions. But that grant now expires at the end of this month. We cannot allow this to happen, ”said Nzimande.
Nzimande said it was worrying that the recently announced high unemployment rate and job losses meant that many adult South Africans were unable to put food on the table.
“The SRDG grant that has been intended for those who are not covered by pensions, FIUs or as caregivers by the Child Support Grant must now be converted as an urgent priority, into a Universal Basic Income Guarantee. Without this small but desperately needed life preserver, many households will suffer deeper distress. The SACP requires a Basic Income Guarantee that is universal, in other words, not subject to resource testing to avoid costly administrative expenses, ”said Nzimande.
The SACP has also called for rapid progress in the implementation of the National Health Insurance (NHI), adding that the cancer Covid-19 had increased the need for its introduction.
Nzimande punched holes in SA’s two-tier healthcare system, where the private sector served 16% of the population with medical aids, while the public sector remained overburdened and underfunded while having a duty to care for 84% of the population. .
“The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of both. Even before the pandemic, the private health care system was dysfunctional, and even those with medical aids realized that coverage was running out before the last months of the year. To complicate matters, the private healthcare system is a parasite on the public sector. Nurses and doctors are trained in publicly funded facilities, ”he said.
Political Bureau
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