chrislbecker.com

When President Jacob Zuma visited Ngobi village earlier this year, Martha Makhubela was sharing a one-room tin shack with her siblings, reports the state news agency.

“During the President’s monitoring visit in June, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini’s team was deployed to child-headed houses in the area, where she met the Makhubela family.

Makhubela, 25, is unemployed and takes care of her four siblings and niece. She relies on child support grants since the foster care grant she was receiving was suspended.

After the visit, Dlamini together with the South African Social Security Agency CEO Virginia Petersen, had a discussion on how they could assist the family, and through SASSA’s help, the Makhubelas were on Monday given the keys to their new home.

The five-room house includes three bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge and toilet. The house came fitted with an electric fridge, stove, kitchen suite, lounge suite, beds as well as curtains. They also received groceries, which they will be getting every month for the next six months.

Makhubela has since been receiving R1 050 in foster care grant again and together with her brother, Aaron, they will be completing their studies through Adult Basic Education Training.”

So, who needs parents or jobs when you’ve got the paternal state using the taxpayers resources to look after you?

In fact, does this not incentivise children to live on the streets unemployed away from their parents in the hope that JZ and the state will come to look after them?