Cape Town - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s stance of politicising the provision of social grants for votes in next year’s election has the hallmarks of a president who does not have a good story to sell his party.
It signals a desperate attempt by the ANC to cling to power as it realises that the end of its rule is nigh.
For the record, a government that boasts about creating a nanny state instead of driving economic development and policy certainty does not have the interests of its citizens, especially young people, at heart.
It should then come as no surprise that the unemployment rate currently stands at 32.9%, compared to 32.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Speaking during the party’s by-election rally in Chatsworth recently, Ramaphosa listed social security and the school nutrition programme as two of the party’s greatest achievements, arguing that only in South Africa was the government making sure that 28 million people went to bed with full stomachs.
“There is no government that is looking after 28 million people on this continent except the ANC. It never happened before 1994. Today we have 18 million people who receive social grants, and we have added another 10 million through social relief grants, so it shows that only the ANC cares for the people,” said Ramaphosa.
Those close to him, instead of applauding, should have reminded him that the social grant money does not match the rising cost of living.
The desperation of selling the ANC through grants also blinded Ramaphosa to the fact that it is us, the citizens, who make the provision of grants possible, not the ANC.
Those receiving grants have continuously told us of the challenges they encounter, including being turned away as a result of load shedding.
Some of them have gone for months without being able to withdraw their grants.
For Ramaphosa to boast about providing millions of South Africans with social grants also confirms that the ANC has failed to create policies that will eradicate poverty and a dependence on the state.
Perhaps this was a deliberate failure by the party to woo voters.
Thankfully, our civil society organisations have educated unsuspecting voters that grants will not end if they do not vote ANC.
Cape Times