The government, saddled with heavy debt, has long balked at the idea of increasing monthly payouts to poor households whose plight has been worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic over the past 18 months.
But a look at the lived experiences of ordinary South Africans makes clear that current levels of support grants are far from adequate and will continue to feed simmering anger among the population, as the looting and vandalism that rocked the KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng in July has already attested.
If this story helped you navigate your world, subscribe to the M&G today for just R30 for the first three months.
Subscribers get access to all our best journalism, subscriber-only newsletters, events and a weekly cryptic crossword.”
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
For all the latest information and advice from the Department of Health relating to Covid-19, please visit sacoronavirus.co.za
All material © Mail & Guardian Online. Material may not be published or reproduced in any form without prior written permission.
