Pretoria News

Dear Mr President: R350 ‘CAN’T BUY

GOITSEMANG TLHABYE goitsemang.tlhabye@inl.co.za NTANDO MAKHUBU ntando.makhubu@inl.co.za

MAMA Josephine Makula, 54, of Soshanguve is one of the millions of South Africans whose only source of income in the past year has been the now reintroduced R350 Covid-19 relief grant.

However, Makula said although she lived alone since her husband died last May, the necessities she could cover with the grant barely lasted her the month.

With the money, she is able to buy 2kg rice, 2.5kg mealie meal, 2.5kg flour, 750ml cooking oil, and 2kg sugar. This comes to R100 at her local supermarket.

With the remaining money, she has been able to buy 2kg of chicken at about R40 or canned food. The rest of the money has gone towards paying back money she borrowed for taxi fare.

“Much as I appreciate the R350, the money is too little, if we’re honest, but since I have absolutely nothing, what more can I ask for?

“I think the most painful part for me is hearing these youngsters in the queue boasting about how they will buy alcohol or clothes with that money.

“My only wish is for government to increase the amount to at least R500, or at least add on to this by giving us a few food parcels.”

Makula said she often had to rely on her relatives to boost her with whatever they could when she ran out, which happened frequently during the month.

“You can’t even budget to use all of that money because I end up having to borrow money to board taxis to get to the pay points.

“On top of that, you usually get cut off from the queue before you receive the money and have to go back again the following day.

“If it wasn’t for my family and relatives, I wouldn’t make it, and it’s even worse because I can’t even go out to look for part-time work like doing people’s laundry or cleaning their houses, because everyone is struggling and afraid of this Covid-19.”

Makula said as a result of the limited funds at her disposal she had to look out for specials at various grocery shops come month-end as they would offer necessities at a discount.

Ga-rankuwa resident Nkele Tlou said she too relied on a combination of food offered at township grocery stores as well as their vegetables to push her through the month.

Tlou, who lives with her 22-year-old daughter – also a recipient of the grant – said the combo lasted them only a week or two afterward.

After that, she had to rely on her relatives to help her out or ask a little bit

A GYNAECOLOGIST at Louis Pasteur Private Hospital in the CBD allegedly told a patient he was about to examine that she was “too dry”.

Thinking that he knew what he was doing, the unsuspecting woman asked for a lubricant. However, the doctor allegedly told her he had to “make her wet” before he could examine her.

He then raped her, removed her mask and kissed her on the mouth.

The details emerged yesterday when members of #Notinmyname protested at the hospital. They called for the closure from her neighbours.

Tlou said she only bought groceries when they were on special, otherwise she would not cover all that they needed.

“We’re honestly suffering out here because everything is expensive and people are not working. Even when my daughter gets her money, I try not to push her to spend it on us as she also needs to get herself a few things.

“They should not give us just R350. First of all, I have to start by borrowing money to get to the pay point, which I have to pay back. I once had to go to two pay points, only to be cut off from the queue and sent back home without anything, having spent R75 for transport.”

Julia Mokale also from Ga-rankuwa said the most heartbreaking thing for her was having to cook while keeping a steady eye on her prepaid electricity meter.

“I am at the point where I can only afford to buy electricity for R20 so that we’re not in the dark, and for cooking I have resorted to using the braai stand or create a makeshift fire outside.”

Mokale said what bothered her the most were youngsters who had turned the collection of grants into a business by charging people R50 to jump the queue.

She said the youth, some of whom were drug addicts, slept overnight outside the post office and ended up squeezing in up to 50 people or more in the queue, pushing the rest of them who had woken up early to the back of the line.

“At times I wish they would just cut off these youngsters, because they use the money for alcohol and drugs while the rest of us who need that money to live have to take a back seat.

“I could leave home at 4.30am to make it on time to join the queue only for that person to bribe people to pay them to get in before the rest of us.”

The return of the grant was first announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday during the latest “family meeting”.

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said more than R27 billion had been allocated for the payment of the social relief of distress grants to eligible unemployed people.

Payment to the qualifying recipient is expected to be made soon by the Finance Ministry, Ministry of Social Development and SA Social Security Agency.

Mboweni said: “We operate within a society which experiences a lot of distress. Any caring government will come to the support of its citizens.

“We debated this issue at length and President Ramaphosa, through his negotiation skills while a trade union leader, convinced us to release the R27bn.”

FRONT PAGE

en-za

2021-07-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://pretorianews.pressreader.com/article/281496459324064

African News Agency