ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has made bold promises about his party’s delivery of the long-awaited basic income grant to cushion the unemployed and poor households.
This was among the key election promises Mbalula delivered during a door-to-door campaign in Durban’s INK area on Wednesday. The area included townships such as Ntuzuma, Inanda and KwaMashu.
Inanda township holds sentimental and historic significance for the governing ANC. It is the birthplace of the party’s founding president, John Langalibalele Dube.
Promise of a basic income grant
“We will upgrade the R350 social relief of the distress grant introduced during Covid-19 lockdown into a basic income grant,” Mbalula made the commitments to residents.
Inanda and nearby townships have always been the ANC’s stronghold. However, the party has faces losing its dominance in the townships under the eThekwini metro. This will be for the first time since the the dawn of democracy in 1994.
The main threat is the uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP). It is a splinter grouping branded around the cult figure of former ANC president and head of state Jacob Zuma.
The ANC heavyweights, including national chairperson Gwede Mantashe, are currently in KZN as part of the final push to woo voters. This ahead of the provincial and national elections, which are three weeks away.
The ANC has already tasted defeat in eThekwini Metro during the 2021 municipal elections. It had to rely on smaller parties to stay in power after dipping below 50%. The party achieved a meagre 43% in the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal.
Conceded the party’s mistakes
Mbalula also took the time to concede that the party had made mistakes. But he said the ANC was the only formation with real solutions for the country’s woes. These are the ailing economy, poor infrastructure, crippling unemployment and endemic levels of crime.
“You must always believe in the ANC and stay with your organisation. Do not lose hope in the ANC,” said Mbalula.
In the last election in 2019, the party obtained just over 2 million votes in KwaZulu-Natal. This managed to take its tally to 57% voter share nationally.
The Basic Income Grant (BIG) has been a rallying point for several civic movements. They say the move should be among the measures adopted to address unemployment.
Good Party also advocates for basic income grant
The Good Party, led by Patricia de Lille, has been among the political parties that were vocal on the issue. It has been calling for the urgent introduction of the basic income grant.
“Under a Good Party government, a basic income grant would be affordable. It would be implemented through allocative efficiency and restructuring government. [Through] professionalising the public service, rooting out corruption and introducing tax reforms,” said the Good Party.
The party proposes at least a R1,000 permanent grant for about 8 million South Africans. Those who are trapped in poverty and struggling to put bread on the table.
The Treasury, on the other hand, has made it known that the basic income grant was unaffordable. It cited a constrained fiscus and poor economic growth.
