The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mpumalanga calls on the Premier, Mandla Ndlovu, to urgently address the persistent cost of living crisis.
Recently, Ndlovu revealed that 71% of our population have limited or inadequate access to food. However, his government’s approach in addressing this challenge is proving to be questionable.
The DA reiterates that vulnerable communities like those who are unemployed and those who rely on the provincial government’s Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) are affected the most by the rising cost of living.
Shedding some light on the above, it can be noted that an EPWP employee who works eight-hours a day, for five days a week, would have worked an average of 21.67 days per month. Thus, their take home salary would be around R2 628 per month. This is far less than a basic nutritional food basket which feeds family of four for R3 669.23.
The latest Consumer Price Index as released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) also demonstrated a bleak outlook for the province.
The DA finds it concerning that the sustained increases in the annual inflation is straining household budgets in the province and posing a threat to food security.
Notably, the 4.5% in the annual inflation (July 2023-July 2024) is severely affecting destitute households in the province. The increase is also evident in basic household items like:
- Milk, eggs and cheese (6.4%)
- Breads and cereals (5.6%)
- And Fish (7%)
Noting these challenges, the DA will write to the Premier and ask him to assess the impact of the rising cost of living on vulnerable communities in the province.