SA to Spend R6.8 Billion to Pay R350 COVID-19 Grant Until January

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni on Wednesday said that the South African government will spend an additional R6.8 billion to finance the R350 COVID-19 grant for the jobless, hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tabling his Medium-term Budget Policy Statement, Mboweni said the special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant reached six million people.

Mboweni added that the cabinet has decided to extend the Social Relief of Distress grant to the end of January 2021.

“Because this grant is so effective in reaching the unemployed, we propose to redirect R6.8 billion from the public employment programme allocation,” he said.

“The temporary increases in other grants will unfortunately have to come to an end. This adjustments appropriation also adds R1 billion for food relief to fight hunger.”

The special COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 a month is paid to individuals who are currently unemployed and do not receive any other form of a social grant or UIF payment.