MINISTER LINDIWE ZULU TACKLES CHILD MALNUTRITION AND CLOSING OF SASSA PAY POINTS IN MTHATHA, EASTERN CAPE

• The South African Human Rights Commission investigated child malnutrition in the Eastern Cape, finding rights violations and recommending increases to the Child Support Grant and a registration campaign for unregistered children.
• Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu will attend a Child Malnutrition Outreach event in the Eastern Cape on 21 May, engaging with residents and traditional leaders, and offering services from various government departments.
• The outreach is part of the national Child Protection Campaign, which has supported millions of vulnerable children through grants and programmes like RISIHA, highlighting the government’s ongoing efforts to address child malnutrition and welfare.

 Following the widespread prevalence of malnutrition among children and coupled with complaints from the public on the same issue in the Eastern Cape, the Provincial Office of the South African Human Rights Commission, conducted an inquiry into Child Malnutrition and the Right to Food.

Aimed at determining the seriousness of malnutrition in the province and whether this violated the rights contained in the Bill of Rights, the Commission made recommendations for the Department of Social Development to Increase the Child Support Grant above the food poverty line, Prioritise children under school-going age for Child Support Grant increase and Partner with the Department of Home Affairs for a registration campaign targeting unregistered children.

It is in this context that the Minister of Social Development, Ms Lindiwe Zulu, will on Tuesday, May 21, attend Child Malnutrition Outreach at Matyengqina Great Palace, OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape Province. The Minister will be accompanied by among the dignitaries, Eastern Cape MEC of Social Development, Ms Bukiwe Fanta.

The Ministerial engagement serves as a conducive platform to engage with residents and traditional leaders on the issue of child malnutrition and closure of SASSA pay points while affording children to register with government departments and entities. Expected departments and entities on the day, include, the departments of Home Affairs, Health, South African Police Service, SASSA and Independent Electoral Commission, amongst others.

This initiative is part of Child Protection Campaign that is currently under way across the country, guided by the theme; “Protecting South Africa’s Children 30 years on”. The Department reached 1 million, 573 thousand, and 740 orphaned and vulnerable children, through RISIHA, a community-based prevention and early intervention programme. In addition, the same programme reached 4188 children with disabilities.

Between the years, 2007 and 2024, SASSA, an entity of Social Development, reached 14 million, 991 thousand, and 888 children respectively. These grants include Care Dependency, Foster Child, Child Support, Child Support Top-Up, and Care Dependency grants.

During the same period, the current value equivalent for of all types of grants for children increased from 24 million, 172 thousand, and 400 Rand, to 89 million, 074 thousand, and 256 Rand. More social grants money is spent on Child Support Grant, to the value of 80 million, 410 thousand and 191 Rand. SASSA also pay 4 million, 111 thousand, and 795 Rand, in Care Dependency Grant, followed by Care Dependency Grant at 4 million, 056 thousand, and 905 Rand, as well as 495 thousand, 365 Rand on Child Support Top-Up Grant.

Members of the media are invited to attend and cover the Ministerial Outreach planned as follows:

Date:    Tuesday, 21 May 2024

Time:   08h00

Venue: Matyengqina Great Palace, Mthatha, OR Tambo District, Eastern Cape Province

Media can RSVP by contacting Ms Media RSVPs may be directed to Media can RSVP by contacting Ms Nomfundo Xulu on 0664806845 / NomfundoLe@dsd.gov.za