Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu. Picture: Armand Hough/African News Agency (ANA)
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has denied that the ANC is using the proposed introduction of the basic income grant to campaign for the general elections next year.
Zulu said the policy of having the basic income grant was there, but they were trying to revive it.
She said there was the Taylor committee years ago that recommended that the basic income grant be introduced in South Africa.
Zulu said the ANC had many ways to campaign, but it wouldn’t use the issue of the basic income grant for next year’s campaign.
The minister was part of the social services cluster in Parliament who were answering oral questions.
It was DA member Bridgette Masango who asked Zulu if the grant would be used for campaigning.
“Honourable Masango, the ANC has got many other means of campaigning for elections. If you recall, this document was brought to the portfolio committee on the basis that we were trying to see what else we can do once the SRD (Social Relief of Distress) is over.
“Therefore, we put some document that should have been on the table, that should have been adopted as far as I am concerned a long time ago. We are bringing it back, not because of elections.
“We are bringing it because the need of the people on the ground when it comes to poverty, unemployment and inequality needs us as the ANC to step up,” said Zulu.
She added that they brought the issue of the basic income grant after the ANC government had introduced the R350 grant.
She said she asked the department what would happen once the R350 grant was over, because people were still struggling.
It was then that the department gave her the Taylor committee report, which was released in 2002. It called for the introduction of the basic income grant.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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