South Africa’s social grant system is once again at the centre of a
heated debate, particularly as tensions around immigration and
access to public services continue to rise. There are growing
concerns among some South Africans about whether foreign
nationals are benefiting from social grants while millions of people in
this country continue to struggle with poverty, unemployment and the
rising cost of living.
But what is fact, and what is misinformation? The South African
Social Security Agency, SASSA, says it does not pay social grants
to undocumented foreign nationals. Its spokesperson, Paseka
Letsatsi, says only qualifying refugees receive grants, with 1,815
refugees currently benefiting from the system — a figure he says
contradicts the numbers circulating on social media.
This clarification comes after a Constitutional Court ruling that
changed how asylum seekers must be allowed to access South
Africa’s asylum determination process. But being allowed to apply
for asylum does not automatically grant someone refugee status or
citizenship. So, who actually qualifies for social assistance, what are
the rules governing foreign nationals, and how can the public
distinguish between legitimate concerns and misleading claims? We
speak to SASSA about what the law says and how the grant system
works.