--- title: "Hundreds march demanding Ramaphosa address Basic Income Grant at State of the Nation Address" description: "Civil society organisations want R350 SRD grant increased to R1,447." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "GROUNDUP" author: "Chris Gilili for GroundUp" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/chris-gilili-for-groundup/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-02-02-hundreds-march-demanding-ramaphosa-address-basic-income-grant-at-state-of-the-nation-address/" published: "2023-02-02T16:56:44" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 367 --- # Hundreds march demanding Ramaphosa address Basic Income Grant at State of the Nation Address > Civil society organisations want R350 SRD grant increased to R1,447. By Chris Gilili for GroundUp · Published 2 February 2023, 18:56 SAST ## Key points - On Thursday, over 400 citizens marched to the Union Buildings and Sassa offices in Pretoria ahead of the upcoming State of the Nation Address (Sona). The march was organized by civil society organisations, unemployed citizens, and SRD grant recipients who want President Cyril Ramaphosa to address the need for a basic income grant. The marchers presented a memorandum of demands to Sassa and a separate one to the President. These included increasing the SRD grant to R1,447 and higher taxes on those earning more than R1 million a year. Acting Sassa CEO Abraham Mahlangu received the memo from marchers, who expressed their frustrations with unfair regulations, means testing thresholds and poor communication from Sassa. Phil Mahlangu from the Presidency promised a response within seven days. - Over 400 people marched to the head offices of Sassa and the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday, calling for President Ramaphosa to address plans for a basic income grant at Sona. - The marchers want the Social Relief of Distress Grant increased to R1,447 and for Sassa to fix numerous issues with grant payments. - A memorandum of demands was presented to the President, calling for social grants increased, higher taxes on those earning more than R1-million a year, and a net wealth tax introduced. - Community Organizing Working Group, Voices of the Concerned Citizens of Soweto, Sukuma Soweto Sinqobe and Sisonke Revolutionary Movement all joined the march. ## Content Ahead of the upcoming State of the Nation Address (Sona), over 400 people, including members of civil society organisations, unemployed citizens and recipients of the Social Relief of Distress Grant (SRD), marched to the head offices of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Thursday. Government introduced the SRD grant in May 2020 during the Covid pandemic. Since then the grant has been repeatedly extended and is now due to expire next month. The marchers want President Cyril Ramaphosa to clearly lay out the state’s plans for a basic income grant at Sona on 9 February. Thabisile Miya, from Amandla.mobi, said, “We have been working with communities especially R350 recipients since it started … Food is going up every day, and people don’t have any source of income.” A memorandum of demands for Sassa included that the SRD be increased to R1,447, and that Sassa work with the Department of Social Development to fix numerous issues with grant payments. --- **Visit [*Daily Maverick's* home page](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za?utm_source=direct&utm_medium=in_article_link&utm_campaign=homepage) for more news, analysis and investigations** --- “From unfair regulations to means testing with an unfair qualifying threshold, and poor communication, many have lost hope in this grant, in Sassa and the government as a whole,” the memo reads. Acting Sassa CEO Abraham Mahlangu received the memo. In a memo to the President, marchers said they want social grants increased, higher taxes on those earning more than R1-million a year, and a net wealth tax introduced. “We also appeal to the President to hold the Department of Social Development accountable for their failures in administering the R350 grant,” the memorandum read. “We urge for the glitches to be fixed,” said Nosipho Bilankulu, an unemployed single mother. She said her grant money cannot keep pace with the rising cost of maize meal and cooking oil. Her child’s crèche fees are R400 alone, more than the SRD grant. Although she has the grant, there are months when the money doesn’t appear. Presidency official Phil Mahlangu promised a response within seven days. Community Organizing Working Group, Voices of the Concerned Citizens of Soweto, Sukuma Soweto Sinqobe, and Sisonke Revolutionary Movement all joined the march. **MR** *First published by*[*GroundUp*](https://www.groundup.org.za/article/hundreds-march-to-demand-ramaphosa-address-basic-income-grant-at-sona/)*.* ![Image](https://thirdpartyhits.groundup.org.za/counter/hit/dailymaverick/2023-02-02-hundreds-march-to-demand-ramaphosa-address-basic-income-grant-at-sona/)