BY failing to pay social grants, the ANC government is sending poor people to loan sharks.
This is according to the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
EFF spokesman Sinawo Thambo said in a statement on Friday, 12 January that the failure of the Social Development Department to pay beneficiaries in January means that thousands of families have no means to support themselves.
"This is not a new phenomenon as Sassa (South African Social Security Agency) beneficiaries are confronted by delayed payments every month, leading them to go into debt with financial institutions and loan sharks," he said.
Thambo alleged that the ANC was using the department to put money meant for beneficiaries into its pockets.
"The trend in state agencies of the social welfare payments to either dead beneficiaries or ghost beneficiaries proves that the ANC has set up numerous syndicates to siphon the state's money into their personal coffers," Thambo said.
According to reports, 150 000 Sassa beneficiaries have not received their January payments due to delays in verification.
On Thursday 11 January, Minister Lindiwe Zulu said in a written reply to a parliamentary question by Democratic Alliance’s Jacques Smalle that at least R140 million in Sassa grants had been "wrongly paid" to more than 70 000 beneficiaries who had died in the past three years.
ALSO READ: Gold One Mine workers switch gears
Thambo said this could only be described as gross mismanagement of state funds.
"What is worse is that this corruption and incompetence has a direct impact on the most vulnerable in society who depend on the grants for their survival," he said.
He said Zulu had "a complete and utter failure" as minister of social development and was responsible for the "misery and starvation" of the poor in this country who depend on grants.
"Her continued tenure as minister shows that President Cyril Ramaphosa's regime rewards failure and uses ministerial positions to advance the interests of the ruling party," Thambo said.
He said Ramaphosa's threat that the removal of the ANC could lead to the cancellation of social grants was moot as Zulu had already ensured that thousands of poor people did not receive their grants on time.
He called on the people of Mzansi to eliminate "the criminal syndicate" that diverts social grant money into their pockets through illicit means, for example by "paying dead beneficiaries for three years".
Thambo said: "The EFF calls on South Africans to recognise that the ANC government's failure to pay social grants is proof that it wants to perpetuate the poverty of our people."
