Blind grant insulting

I HAVE been involved in the blindness sector for about 40 years and every year I have listened to the minister of finance declaring a measly increase in the social grant to pensioners and blind people. It is such time again. Will the blind pensioners be insulted again with a R10 increase?

Much has been said about a minimum wage. This implies that a household should earn a certain minimum amount to cover basic living expenses.

Why can’t the pensions not be the same as the minimum wage? Blind people have to live independently and it is virtually impossible to find basic accommodation on the current pension being paid.

I urge the minister to give serious consideration to a reasonable grant for unemployable blind people that would give them a fair sense of dignity and allow the marginalised members of our society to take on their responsibility for their families like everybody else.

I make the distinction between employable and unemployable blind people because I believe – and evidence exists to show this – that not all blind people are dependent on government handouts.

The excellent work done by organisations such as The League of Friends of the Blind ensures that young blind people are taken through academic support programmes to be trained to become active citizens and participants in the economy of the country.

But there will always be those who would lack the opportunity and skill to become economically independent and have to depend on government grants.

That grant should contribute to restoring dignity rather than keep people in the poverty trap with all its bad social consequences. So, Mr Minister, before you are redeployed, do the right thing as far as the social grant for blind people is concerned.