The DA has thrown down the gauntlet to Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini‚ challenging her to join the party on a grocery shopping trip to test her assertion that R753 in social grants was enough to sustain an entire family for a whole month.
DA spokeswoman on social development, Bridget Masango, said yesterday the DA had extended the shopping invitation to the minister on June 9 but she had still not responded.
“With rising food prices due to the drought and other factors‚ the DA contends that the minister’s claim is deeply insensitive and completely untrue‚” Masango said.
The challenge follows Dlamini’s recent reply to a DA parliamentary question in which she asserted that R753 a month was “adequate” for social grant beneficiaries.
“Whether she made a calculation error or simply never looks at invoices when shopping or checking into hotels has rendered her out of touch with the poor despite being the minister in charge of the most vulnerable in our society.
“The effect of inadequate child support grants are already being felt‚ with almost a quarter of South African children suffering from stunted growth‚ according to the third Global Nutrition Report that was released this week.
“The report placed South Africa 70th out of 132 countries for stunted growth rates‚ with 23.9% of South African children under five stunted‚ mainly due to a lack of nutrition.
“Food inflation‚ the economy and the drought have been cited as factors that make it harder for South African families to eat healthily‚” Masango said.
She added that this was further proof that the government’s child support grants were not adequate to support South African families and the children who were the future of this country. The minister’s claim was therefore inexplicable.
“We therefore challenge Minister Dlamini to come shopping with us on Wednesday June22 at the Shoprite in Soweto‚ so that she can see for herself what R753 can buy,” Masango said. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
DA asks minister on grocery trip to prove R753 is enough
DA spokeswoman on social development, Bridget Masango, said yesterday the DA had extended the shopping invitation to the minister on June 9 but she had still not responded.
“With rising food prices due to the drought and other factors‚ the DA contends that the minister’s claim is deeply insensitive and completely untrue‚” Masango said.
The challenge follows Dlamini’s recent reply to a DA parliamentary question in which she asserted that R753 a month was “adequate” for social grant beneficiaries.
“Whether she made a calculation error or simply never looks at invoices when shopping or checking into hotels has rendered her out of touch with the poor despite being the minister in charge of the most vulnerable in our society.
“The effect of inadequate child support grants are already being felt‚ with almost a quarter of South African children suffering from stunted growth‚ according to the third Global Nutrition Report that was released this week.
“The report placed South Africa 70th out of 132 countries for stunted growth rates‚ with 23.9% of South African children under five stunted‚ mainly due to a lack of nutrition.
“Food inflation‚ the economy and the drought have been cited as factors that make it harder for South African families to eat healthily‚” Masango said.
She added that this was further proof that the government’s child support grants were not adequate to support South African families and the children who were the future of this country. The minister’s claim was therefore inexplicable.
“We therefore challenge Minister Dlamini to come shopping with us on Wednesday June22 at the Shoprite in Soweto‚ so that she can see for herself what R753 can buy,” Masango said. — Tiso Black Star Group Digital
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