Ganief Hendricks MP is now deputy minister of social development. [Picture: facebook.com/AljamaahZA]
Newly appointed deputy minister of social development, Ganief Hendricks MP, says the seventh administration must prioritise employment over grant payouts.
In an interview on Salaamedia on Monday, the Al Jama-ah parliamentarian and now government official said he would rather have people working if they could, instead of relying on month-to-month handouts from the government.
“You find that all of the country’s recipients of grants are experiencing problems,” he noted, referring to the myriad challenges at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
“That is something that I want to look at, but what is more important is to migrate people who receive grants to get full employment; to rather get jobs,” he said.
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Social development
Every month, 29 million South Africans (47% of the population) are paid some sort of grant by SASSA. Whether it is for pension, child support or another grant, they rely on the government’s doling out money to get through the month.
Although deputy ministers are not part of the Cabinet, Hendricks is confident he can make a positive contribution to the department. He said playing the role was important to him as a Muslim.
“Social development is a position that a Muslim should take up when it’s offered because that is what it is all about. We know that we have to pay our zakah, we have to pay our fitra, we give lillah when we can. The whole life of a Muslim is to do with social development, helping the community,” he said.
He will work with the African National Congress’s (ANC) Sisi Tolashe, who is now the minister in charge of social development. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his multiparty government in a televised address late on Sunday.
