DA proposal for old age grant “top up” rejected by the ANC and EFF

26 November 2018

The DA proposed five amendments to the Adjustments Appropriation Bill [B35-2018] to support senior citizens, improve road maintenance and improve rail transport.

We specifically proposed an increase in the appropriation of Department of Social Development [Vote No. 17] of R1.2 billion to provide the 3.5 million beneficiaries of the old age grant with a R355 end-of-year “top up”.

The proposed R355 end-of-year “top-up” to the old age grant could have been funded by a decrease in the appropriation for the Department of Public Enterprises [Vote No. 9] of R1.2 billion, which was earmarked for the bailout South African Express Airways.

However, members of the governing party rejected the proposal after nearly three hours of deliberations at a meeting of the Standing Committee on Appropriations last week in Parliament.

Which proves that when it came to a choice between helping pensioners, who are struggling to make ends meet or bailing out South African Express Airways, the ANC and EFF chose to bail out South African Express Airways.

Issued by David Maynier, DA Shadow Minister of Finance, 26 November 2018