LISTEN | Unemployed graduates must be paid R4,500 a month, says ANCYL as Treasury struggles to keep R350 grant

ANC Youth League (ANCYL) president Collen Malatji wants the government to pay unemployed graduates a monthly stipend of R4,500, even as the National Treasury has raised concerns about the government facing financial constraints caused by growing debt. 

Malatji made this call while speaking at the ANCYL's 79th anniversary in Kameelrivier Stadium in Mpumalanga on Sunday.  

“We are calling upon the ANC-led government to increase and introduce an unemployment grant. While young people are still looking for opportunities, there must be a grant that is provided for them to be able to move about and look for those opportunities.  

“We are saying while we are still looking for opportunities the R350 unemployment grant must be increased to R1,500, until the matter of employment is resolved. Unemployed graduates must be paid R4,500 a month,” Malatji told hundreds of supporters.

Malatji’s call comes as Sunday Times reported finance minister Enoch Godongwana flagged concerns about government’s finances being strained due to growing debt. The department suggested to President Cyril Ramaphosa that to continue with the R350 grant payouts beyond March next year, the government would have to raise VAT or close some state programmes to decrease spending.

Deputy President Paul Mashatile told supporters at the stadium that the government was aware unemployment mostly affected young people. He urged young people to become entrepreneurs and not set their eyes only on employment opportunities.

“As government, when we are busy coming up with schemes and plans to grow the economy and create jobs, we do that primarily to ensure we can benefit the youth. We want you to get jobs, but we also want you to be entrepreneurs. Our government has programmes to support the youth to become business people.”  

Earlier this month, Ramaphosa said at the party’s election manifesto review at Dobsonville Stadium, Johannesburg, that the government had heard the call for increased support.

“Many of our people say they want the R350 grant to be increased and that it must continue. We hear our people, we have listened to that intently. We also had to expand the social grants system in our country and as a result, 18-million people get their social grants. And on top of that, 10-million people get the R350 grant, meaning that we've almost got 28-million people who the government continues to support,” he said.

“I know of no government in our continent that supports its citizens in the way the South African government does,” he added.

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