True or out of touch? SA reacts to Mboweni saying 'R350 grant goes a long way in assisting people'

Finance minister Tito Mboweni's recent comments on the R350 distress relief social grant have received mixed reactions on social media.

During a briefing on Wednesday, Mboweni said the R350 monthly temporary grant for unemployed people will cost the government R27bn.

The grant was reinstated on Sunday and will be paid until the end of March 2022.

Mboweni said the grant goes a long way in assisting people, no matter how small it might seem.

“This money is meant to respond to the situation our people currently find themselves in,” said the minister.

“No matter how small it may seem, but that R350 goes a long way and we will have to find that R27bn somewhere in the system. Looking after our own is not a cost but an investment.”

The distress grant was reinstated due to the extent of damage caused during recent violent unrest triggered by the imprisonment of former president Jacob Zuma.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said the reinstatement of the grant was made possible by the slight improvement the country has seen in revenue collection.​

“We are expanding the number of people who are eligible for the grant by allowing unemployed caregivers who currently receive a child support grant to apply,” he said.

“This will build on the strength of our existing social protection system, which is one of the greatest achievements of our democracy.

“In addition to the food relief being provided by the department of social development, government is contributing R400m to the Humanitarian Crisis Relief Fund established by the Solidarity Fund to assist with the immediate needs of affected communities. We are also implementing measures to help businesses to rebuild.”

On social media, many said Mboweni's comment about the grant going a long way was not true and that one could not buy much with it.

Others said the amount could provide relief to those who have nothing. 

Here is a snapshot of some of the reactions: