MF Debate on the Social Assistance Amendment Bill

Madam Speaker, the portfolio committee has deliberated at length with key stakeholders on various positive amendments to the Social Assistance Amendment Bill 2018, which has a strong focus of changing children’s lives.
The MF has strongly argued that this is an opportune time to equally focus on the value of our mothers. Historically, widows who have believed in the institution of marriage but are not covered by the current existing welfare grant and are neglected by Social Development, yet mothers are major stakeholders, in terms of moral regeneration in South Africa.
With this in mind, the MF supports the amended Social Assistance Amendment Bill2018 on the premise that 16 years later the Honourable Minister of Social Development and Finance, whom the Bill gives wide ranging decision-making powers, seriously considers the introduction of a “Widow’s Support Grant”. Hon. members, widows are a vulnerable group that falls through the cracks of the social welfare safety net. The MF strongly believes that such an essential grant would be a further contribution to the Envisaged Comprehensive Social Security Framework for South Africa, as ascribed in NDP 2030.
Thank you.