WeeklySA_AdminMALNUTRITION: Child Support Grant must be increased to end child hunger, report says
By Marecia Damons
The Child Support Grant reaches over 13-million children but remains below the food poverty line, leaving many households unable to meet basic nutritional needs.
According to the latest Child Gauge Report by the Children’s Institute, child poverty rates fell after the CSG’s introduction in 1998.
But after the Covid lockdown, an additional 1.2-million children fell below the food poverty line.
Despite social grants and school nutrition programs, child hunger and malnutrition remain high, with stunting growth among children under five years old at 29%.
South Africa’s Child Support Grant (CSG) remains the country’s largest poverty alleviation tool for children, but it is not enough.
This is according to the latest Child Gauge Report by the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, released on Tuesday.
The CSG still sits below the food poverty line, leaving millions at risk of hunger and malnutrition, the report says.
The grant has a wide reach – it was received by 13-million children in 2024 – but it is not keeping up with the cost of living, and child poverty is not declining fast enough.
The CSG is currently R560 a month. This falls below the food poverty line – the minimum income needed for a person to meet basic nutritional requirements – of R796.
It is also much lower than the cost of meeting a child’s nutritional needs, calculated by the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group, of between R826 and R1 085 a month, depending on the child’s age.
The Child Gauge Report says that child poverty rates dropped after the introduction of the CSG in 1998. In 2019, 33% of children were below the food poverty line compared with 53% in 2003. “The reduction in the child poverty headcount over this period was mainly the result of a massive increase in the reach of the CSG,” the report said.
But many children remain poor, and poverty rates rose during the Covid lockdown in 2020, with child food poverty rising to 39%. Rates levelled off in 2021, then rose again in most provinces in 2022 and remained high through 2024.
“Across all the poverty measures, poverty rates were higher in 2024 than they were in the pre-lockdown year of 2019. In terms of population numbers, this translates as an additional 1.2-million children below the food poverty line, and an additional 3.1-million children below the upper-bound poverty line, compared with 2019,” the report said. The upper-bound poverty line includes a small amount for items other than food.
Provincial disparities are stark. Using the upper-bound poverty line of R1 634, the report found that over 75% of children in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and North West were poor.
Gauteng and the Western Cape have the lowest rates, but both saw substantial increases in poverty: from 35% in 2019 to 54% in 2024 in Gauteng, and from 27% to 41% in the Western Cape.
Poverty remains highest in rural former homelands, with 86% of children below the upper-bound poverty line in 2024.
Urban poverty rates also climbed sharply, with 56% living below the upper-bound poverty line in 2024 – up from 41% in 2019 – and 25% of children living below the food poverty line, up from 21% in 2019.
One of the report’s researchers, Dr Katherine Hall, wrote that the slow take-up of the CSG among young children remains a concern. 43% of eligible infants did not receive the grant in 2014. This dropped to 35% from 2017 to 2019, but rose again to 48% in 2020.Barriers include confusion about eligibility and the means test, lack of documentation like ID books and birth certificates, and challenges accessing SASSA offices, the report said.
The report said that children who suffer from hunger are at risk of stunting, of being overweight and of micronutrient deficiencies. The 2021-2023 National Food and Nutrition Security Survey found that 29% of children under five years old in the country were stunted.
“Children living in households that do not report hunger may still not have access to sufficient nutritious food and be at risk of malnutrition,” the report said.
Although social grants remain the main source of income for poor households with children, the report said, the gap between the CSG and the actual cost of raising a child continues to widen.
Researchers concluded that increasing the CSG to at least match the food poverty line is essential to addressing child hunger and malnutrition.- Fullview
MIRROR Briefs
GIGABA TO FACE MUSIC
Former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has been fingered is expected to corruption that occurred during his tenure. Gigaba was expected to appear in court on Friday to be charged in connection with procurement irregularities at the state-owned rail operator, Transnet, the statement said.
“I respect the processes of our constitutional democracy and will continue to cooperate fully with the legal system as it performs its duties,” he said. “My conscience is clear regarding my conduct in office.” The Transnet corruption probe centres around irregular contracts and payments worth billions of rand that were unlawfully awarded. The latest development marks another step in the National Prosecuting Authority broader state capture clean-up which has seen multiple arrests and court appearances involving former executives and board members from state-owned entities such as Transnet and Eskom.
Following his engagement with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Gigaba clarified that the matter was not procurement-related, contrary to earlier reports. A legal process has now embarked on a review of the entire matter, inclusive of other respondents’ charges, to allow him the opportunity to respond comprehensively and in full context.
Although it is not clear at this stage what the preferred charges against him were, Gigaba said the matter related to irregular contracts, stemming from his tenure as public enterprises minister.- Lehlohonolo Lehana
THE MENTAL LOAD OF DIABETES
For millions of South African, living with diabetes, the greatest challenge was not only managing sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol – it was coping with the emotional and psychological toll of the disease.
This is the view of Salih Hendricks who has lived with diabetes for more than four decades and knows this reality all too well. He has endured severe complications, including amputation and stroke. ‘’ Diabetes is not just medical – it is emotional, social and psychological ‘’, he says. ‘’ The body carries the illness, but the mind and soul carry the weight’’.
His story echoes that of thousands of others who struggle with the mental load of diabetes. Feelings of fear, frustration and burnout were common yet often overlooked in clinical care. Studies showed that depression and diabetes distress can directly affect glucose control, medication adherence and quality of life.
Yet despite the evidence , mental health remained a neglected component of diabetes care, both globally and in South Africa.
In an effort to champion the integration of mental health support into diabetes care, the 2025 Diabetes Summit will gather leading minds from November 11 to 13 at The Radisson, OR Tambo in Gauteng .
Dr. Patrick Ngassa Piotie, Chairperson of the Diabetes Alliance and co-founder of the University of Pretoria Diabetes Research Centre, says the health system still viewed diabetes primarily through a clinical and biological lens. – Weekly SA News .
BEWARE OF BOGUS INSPECTORS
The Department of Employment and Labour has issued a stern warning to the business community in the North West, following reports of bogus inspectors posing as officials and selling labour legislation posters to unsuspecting companies.
In a statement, the department said the imposters were allegedly targeting companies that did not have the legislative posters displayed, they extorted money from them, claiming it was for non-compliance with labour laws, and issued fines that needed to be paid on the spot. In response to the allegations, the Provincial Chief Inspector, Chris Sithole, advised that all the services of the department were provided at no cost, and that the department did not sell any labour publications, including charts, pamphlets and posters.
“The business community must be cautious and report any suspicious activities or visits. They should report to the South African Police Services or the nearby office of the department. If they are unsure about the inspectors visiting their premises, they can also verify their credentials with the Department,” Sithole said.
He cautioned companies to never deposit money into the bank account of anyone or pay cash, even if they were legitimate inspectors from the department. – SAnews
SA MEN TRAPPED IN UKRAINE
The South African government has confirmed receiving distress calls from 17 citizens who joined mercenary forces fighting in the Russia–Ukraine.
The men are between the ages of 20 and 39 years and are trapped in Ukraine’s war-torn Donbas region.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has since ordered an investigation into the circumstances that led to the recruitment of these young men into these seemingly mercenary activities, the Presidency said. The men were lured to join the mercenary forces under the pretext of lucrative contracts.
Presidency spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya added that the South African government was working through “diplomatic channels” to secure their return.
Magwenya said 16 of the men were from KwaZulu-Natal and one from the Eastern Cape.
“President Ramaphosa and the South African government strongly condemn the exploitation of young vulnerable people by individuals working with foreign military entities.”
South Africa has an unemployment rate of more than 30%, and was even higher among young people, making them vulnerable for recruitment.
Under South African law, it was illegal for citizens to provide military assistance to foreign governments or participate in foreign armies unless authorised by South Africa. – Lehlohonolo Lehana.
