All South African citizens who qualify for social relief and economic support packages have received funds.
However, the jobless are still waiting and not even sure if they are eligible or approved to get the R350 allocated to them.
On 21 April, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a R500 billion stimulus package to deal with the negative economic impact of COVID-19.
As part of the package, Ramaphosa revealed a special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 a month for six months to be paid to jobless individuals.
He said the relief grant excluded anyone who already receives any other form of a social grant or UIF payment.
Despite weeks of cries from the unemployed on Twitter seeking updates about their applications for the jobless grant, SASSA and the Ministry of Social Development remained mum until today. For more read: SASSA Pays 1.2 Million People Their R350 COVID-19 Grant
Previously, on 29 June 2020 SASSA said, it had received 13 million applications for the R350 Social Relief Grant.
The state agency also stated that only 6.3 million applications had been properly completed and deemed valid.
On June 1, SASSA announced that it had paid 116,867 people their R350 Social Relief Grant.
That was the last time SASSA updated South Africans about the R350 COVID-19 grant.
On June 9, we sent to Paseka Letsatsi, SASSA spokesperson, questions which were ignored like those Tweets by disgruntled jobless South Africans.
TechFinancials asked the following questions regarding R350 COVID-19 Grant:
- How many applicants have been paid to date?
- Why have the qualifying 6 million applicants not been paid until now?
- How long will it take to pay all the qualifying applicants?
- How many applicants have been disqualified so far?
Digital payments created by SASSA to help applicants check the status of their applications has failed to do so.
Also read: DA Want Answers on SASSA’s R350 COVID-19 Grant Fiasco
Many applicants for the R350 COVID-19 Grant remain frustrated, and those with access to social media are voicing their anger on Twitter:
Sassa I lost faith your feedback to me says l have other sources of income while l don’t receive any Penny or inheritance wish you could clarify for Me just send me Name of source where you claim l receive a money from so l won’t bother Apply again
— Nsizwa Thwala (@Nimrooi) June 18, 2020
So according to @GovernmentZA when you once work before 3 years back you still working? Uif covid 19 focus more on people who are currently working. I feel let down by this. @DesireeChauke
— Maherbs Sambo (@Maherbs89) June 18, 2020
So you expect people to email and call you after you declined them .I myself I am not in line to receive any UIF and I am not receiving any income since 2015/2016 but I was declined anyways..all I can say is this is just an impossible task and a scam..
— Ubuhle Angela (@UbuhleAngela) June 18, 2020
You could have just said only teens qualify. We wasted time to apply. I am not working, not a student, not getting any Grant from government.. Yet my application is declined?.. How so?.. Anyway keep your R350 mane lo tshameka ka batho
— tshepiso mampe (@my_lady_mampe) June 18, 2020
I was declined I’m not working and not on the UIF also, what should I do then?
— Kaiser (@NgcosiniK) June 18, 2020
I’ve never worked in my life before and I don’t receive any amount from any organization and I’m not a Nsfas beneficial, I don’t understand why did you decline my application
— Mfo ka Nxamalala (@ntuthukozuma_) June 18, 2020
2 Comments
why did you decline my application,i thought you said it’s for the unemployed yet i’m unemployed infect i haven’t worked in my life,i only finished my maric 2018 and ever since haven’t gotten any source of income from anywhere or anyone for this matter,i have been looking for a job since2019 but dololo and now my application for R350 has failed….how please make me understand how this works.
I also got declined these people are playing with people