Statement: SRD hearing date set; government ignoring reality

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants have challenged the administration of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant in the Pretoria High Court, alleging that procedural barriers and a lack of purchasing power violate constitutional rights to social assistance. The IEJ criticizes the government for ignoring evidence of poverty and for contradictory positions regarding whether the grant is a temporary Covid-19 measure or a foundation for a permanent basic income system.

• The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) and #PayTheGrants are challenging the SRD grant in the Pretoria High Court, with hearings scheduled for 29 and 30 October. The case contests procedural barriers that prevent eligible people from accessing the R370 grant and argues that the grant's purchasing power and eligibility have been rolled back, contradicting the constitutional obligation to progressively realise the right to social assistance.
• The IEJ argues that the government's online-only application system is inaccessible to the target population. While the government suggests applicants can apply from "comfortable homes", the IEJ notes that the grant's eligibility threshold is R624 per month, which is below the Statistics South Africa figure of R796 per month required just for food in 2024, making costs for internet and data insurmountable barriers.
• There is a documented inconsistency between the public statements of the President, the Minister of Social Development, and the Minister of Finance—who suggested the SRD grant would form the basis of a basic income system—and the government's court filings, which claim the grant is "temporary" and can be withdrawn at any time.
• The IEJ disputes the government's claim that the SRD grant is a temporary response to Covid-19, stating that unemployment remains at crisis levels with 42.6% of working-age adults unemployed, most for a year or more. The IEJ further claims that procedural barriers have excluded up to 50% of eligible beneficiaries, a point they allege the government has denied without providing evidence.
• The legal remedy sought by the IEJ is not for the court to set the grant's value, but to direct the government to create a reasonable plan for the grant that is not based on an annual cycle and accounts for cost of living and real-world need, while remedying unlawful administration.

APA

Institute for Economic Justice (2024). Statement: SRD hearing date set; government ignoring reality. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/statement-srd-hearing-date-set_government-ignoring-reality-12-september-2024/

Chicago

Institute for Economic Justice. Statement: SRD hearing date set; government ignoring reality. 2024. https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/statement-srd-hearing-date-set_government-ignoring-reality-12-september-2024/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Institute for Economic Justice |title=Statement: SRD hearing date set; government ignoring reality |date=13 September 2024 |url=https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/statement-srd-hearing-date-set_government-ignoring-reality-12-september-2024/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{instituteforeconomicjustice2024statement, author = {{Institute for Economic Justice}}, title = {{Statement: SRD hearing date set; government ignoring reality}}, publisher = {Institute for Economic Justice}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://iej.org.za/press-room/statements/statement-srd-hearing-date-set_government-ignoring-reality-12-september-2024/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }