Ramaphosa: Govt aware of calls for Covid-19 grant extension

Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address during the second day of the NEDLAC Organised Labour School.

Ramaphosa and the National Coronavirus Command Council shut large parts of the country's economy as a way to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.

Ramaphosa reiterated that the creation of jobs is at the centre of the country's recovery plan.

"First, we must get our people back into the jobs they lost in the pandemic. Second, we must create more employment opportunities for those who were unemployed before the pandemic or who had given up looking for work.

“We have identified priority interventions based on their capacity to create employment on a large scale and within a relatively short time.

“We have embarked on a massive infrastructure build and maintenance programme that will achieve several economic objectives at once," he said.

Ramaphosa says various sectors of society have called on government to continue the R350 Covid-19 grant and the UIF TERS scheme.

"As we implement the recovery plan and as we work to contain the pandemic, we are confronted with the reality that there are millions of South Africans who are still faced with hunger and hardship.

“The effects of the pandemic continue to be felt by households, by workers and by businesses. There have been many calls for government to continue its support by extending programmes like the special Covid-19 grant and the special UIF TERS scheme.”

“We have to balance this clear and pressing need with the imperative to ensure the sustainable and responsible management of our severely constrained public resources," said Ramaphosa.

He added: "We remain committed to working with our social partners and all stakeholders to resolve these issues and ensure that livelihoods are protected as our economic recovery takes effect."

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