THE country is two months into the new year, and the date for the 2024 elections is yet to be confirmed.
Several political parties have pledged to end crime, increase job opportunities and improve the education system.
But the topic of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) remains controversial in keeping many gogos and madalas on the edge, especially when there is news that the older persons grant could "possibly be scrapped".
In January, President Cyril Ramaphosa made headlines when he reportedly warned that should the ANC fail to attain the majority vote, the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (Nfsas) and social grants could be scrapped.
He was speaking in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on Monday, 8 January, where the party celebrated its 112th birthday in the lead up to its January 8 statement.
This statement sparked fear in many elderly people who fall under the 47% of South Africans who rely on monthly social grants.
Many beneficiaries like Rose Ndlovu (64) from Soweto were shocked by this and claimed that politicians were using Sassa as a weapon against them.
“What they’re doing is wrong because this money doesn't belong to the ANC and whoever sits in power will allow Sassa to continue. They must stop this thing of using it as a weapon,” she said.
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Rose was not the only one who was angered by this. Frail Mariam Zulu (88), who uses crutches to walk, said they needed this money to live.
"We need this money to survive. Without it, we'll suffer," she said.
Boykie Maphela (55), another beneficiary, said such statements were the reason many people clung on to the ANC and feared change. He said this was because they didn't know which dark hole they would be throwing themselves in.
“They are now blackmailing us. We have to constantly live in fear. This is why we find ourselves hanging on to ANC because we have a fear that should they leave, all of sassa will be gone,” he said.
