‘Divert some funds to increase elderly grants’

Members of Parliament have urged Neal Rijkenberg, the Minister of Finance, and the Finance Committee to increase the elderly grant, even if it meant diverting funds from other allocations.

MPs stressed the importance of providing greater support to the elderly, noting that no increment for the grant was included in the recent budget speech. Nkilongo MP Petros Sibandze highlighted that the Speech from the Throne declared the year as one of agape love and asked that the elderly grant be reviewed before passing the budget.

He pointed out that some increases were unnecessary, citing foreign travel allocations doubling from E200 million to E400 million, and suggested that only E172 million would be needed to raise the elderly grant if funds were reprioritized.

Lobamba MP Michael Masilela argued that passing the budget without increasing grants for the elderly and persons with disabilities would be unacceptable. He noted E120 million was earmarked for decorating the ICC&FISH facility and buying cutlery funds that could instead support the vulnerable population through the supplementary budget.

Mhlume MP Sifiso Magagula expressed disappointment that the elderly were excluded, despite their importance being highlighted in the king’s speech. Matsanjeni South MP Sabelo Ndlangamandla questioned additional allocations to the Fire and Emergency Services Department for a vehicle that had not yet been delivered, suggesting the funds be redirected to increase the elderly grant.

Lugongolweni MP Joseph Souza and Siphofaneni MP Nomalungelo Simelane emphasized the heavy burden on the elderly, who often care for grandchildren in the face of rising living costs, and stressed that the issue should be treated seriously.

Minister of Economic Planning Dr Tambo Gina acknowledged MPs’ concerns and assured that their appeals had been heard, even though a concrete plan for increasing the grant was not yet in place.

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