The South African government has committed to helping suffering unemployed Zimbabweans with R350 unemployment grant during COVID-19.
There is a very large population of Zimbabweans living in South Africa and in other parts of the world. After realising that many unemployed Zimbabweans living in South Africa are suffering and have been greatly affected by the COVID-19, the government has set aside money to benefit them.
The South African High Court said it was unfair to leave out refugees and asylum seekers as they were also viciously affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. With this, the High Court ruling was that refugees be included in the COVID-19 unemployment social grants that South Africa recently introduced.
According to eNCA, after the Pretoria High Court found out that certain groups were not assessing the R350 grant, the Court gave Lindiwe Zulu, Minister of Social Development five days to quantify the costs of extending the grant and another five days to publish amended regulations.
Some Zimbabweans were forced to go back home because of the pandemic while some are formally employed across all the sectors of the economy that include banking, hospitality and education with the majority doing menial jobs.
“Following the declaration of the state of national disaster, and the subsequent nationwide lockdown in a bid to curb the spread of novel coronavirus in South Africa, the Embassy of Zimbabwe has been reaching out to Zimbabweans in the country,” said Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to South Africa, Mr David Hamadziripi
