Julius Malema promises to increase SASSA old-age grant to R4 500
· The South African
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has promised to increase the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) old-age grant to R4 500 per month if his party comes to power.
Malema made the promise while addressing EFF supporters at the party’s provincial manifesto launch in North West on Saturday, as political parties campaign ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
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JULIUS MALEMA PRIOMISES R4500 OLD-AGE GRANT
During his address, Malema assured beneficiaries that an EFF-led government would not remove social grants, accusing the African National Congress (ANC) of failing to adequately support pensioners.
“You paid taxes while you were working, that is your money. We will not take away your grants, instead we will double them. In fact, we want it to start at R4 500,” he said.
South Africa’s old-age grant is currently R2 400 per month following an R80 increase announced in the 2026 Budget. Beneficiaries aged over 75 receive R2 420.
Malema also criticised the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, saying it was insufficient to meet the needs of unemployed South Africans. He called for the introduction of a grant for unemployed graduates.
The SRD grant currently remains at R370 per month, with government having allocated funding for it to continue until 31 March 2027.
‘GOVERNMENT CAN AFFORD THE INCREASE’
Julius Malema repeated the R4 500 proposal during an address in Mpumalanga on the same day, saying pensioners deserved the increase because many of them support their families financially.
“They will be able to look after us and look after our children. They deserve better, we must support them and we must fight for them because fighting for Gogo’s is fighting for black families. They are the heads of black families,” he said.
Malema argued that the government could afford to increase the grant if public funds were not being misused.
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EFF leader Julius Malema has called for the old-age grant to be increased to R4,500 a month, saying pensioners, particularly grandmothers, are the backbone of black families and that government can afford the increase if it stops misusing public funds. pic.twitter.com/EKxdmPVtYk
The proposal comes as political parties campaign ahead of the local government elections, with social grants, unemployment and the cost of living expected to remain key issues among voters.
The EFF has previously campaigned on substantially increasing social grants. Its 2019 manifesto, for example, proposed increasing the grant for older persons from R1 700 to R3 400 per month.