‘SASSA could disappear if ANC loses power’ – Ramaphosa
President warns that social grant initiatives like SASSA could disappear if ANC is ousted from government in the 2024 National Elections.
Speaking at an ANC gathering in Mbombela yesterday, President Ramaphosa warned that initiates like the NSFAS and SASSA could disappear if ANC ousted from government this year. According to EWN, these were the ANC leader’s words at the 112th birthday celebration held ahead of the party’s 2024 address.
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The statement from Ramaphosa marks the start of the 2024 electioneering season in earnest and could easily be construed as a threat to the electorate. Something along the lines of: continue to vote for the ANC or NSFAS and SASSA could disappear.
SASSA COULD DISAPPEAR IN 2024
However, the warning seems ill-timed in light of corruption allegations against Blade Nzimande and the NSFAS. OUTA claims to have incriminating recordings with service providers regarding kickbacks in return for lucrative tenders. Around 1.9 million students will hope to secure financial aid this year despite the alleged irregularities.
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As we’ve elaborated on previously, roughly 19 million South Africans live below the poverty line of R35 per day. Since 1994, social grants paid to more than 26 million South Africans have not kept pace with annual inflation. Meanwhile, salaries for government officials have quadrupled in just 10 years. Making South African civil servants some of the best paid in the entire world.
ELECTIONEERING 101
Ramaphosa’s threat that schemes like NSFAS and SASSA could disappear if the ANC is ousted from government this year is clearly a plow to appeal to the poor to keep them in power. “Our policies have been pro-poor. I don’t know of any other country in the continent that has committed itself to 18 million people who receive grants, young and old, as well as an additional 10 million who get grants of R350,” Ramaphosa said.
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However, to think that any other political party would simply cull aid schemes like NSFAS and SASSA is ludicrous. The fallout from such a policy would be untold. Instead, parties like the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have said they’re not opposed to doing social grants properly.
SASSA DONE PROPERLY
DA leader John Steenhuisen says, “The plan is that you cut expenditure on those nice-to-haves and you lift the social grant above the poverty line. No child or adult can survive off R350 or R450 per month.”
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