Dear Mr Steenhuisen,
I know you are a very busy man.
Please, if you would just take a little time to read this letter through to the end and consider it carefully. I promise you I am not a mad cap.
I am writing to you because I do not want this letter to disappear in bureaucracy, for ever. If you think it is feasible, then you would be in a position to make an appointment, hand it over and discuss it with President Ramaphosa, personally.
I hear on the news all the time just how the government is spending billions and billions of Rand on social grants. Even just the R350 covid subsistence grant will cost the government billions. Grants are necessary. People are dying of starvation, in South Africa. Would it not be better though to help them help themselves?
I have an idea. Please hear me out. This will be mammoth task. But already SASSA are saying they will not be able to cope with the monthly R350 grants.
If the government were to give every (interested) adult South African citizen (18 and over) R1 million, the government would undoubtedly save many billions of Rand. It would be a whole lot cheaper than the social grants being paid, at the moment.
I realize, of course, that handing out that kind of money would not be practical. People who receive lump sums all at once, often destroy themselves. Within a very short time, the money would be gone again, anyway. That is not the answer.
My idea is:
To minimize fraud and corruption the government works with the four major banks. Not a government department.
An individual interested in applying for this privilege would apply at a convenient branch of one of the four major banks. The bank would open a “Government Investment Account” in that individual’s name. The government would deposit R1 million Rand into that account. The individual would get an ATM card to draw the interest accrued on that account. There should be no bank charges on withdrawals.
The R1 million capital may not be touched by anyone.
Individuals should be able to make several withdrawals in a month so that if they happen to be robbed, hopefully there would still be some of the interest left for the rest of the month. The R1 million capitals may not be touched by anyone.
When the “account holder” dies, the account is closed and the R1 million capital is returned to the government coffers.
The only hiccup I can think of at the moment are the Child Headed Households. In the event that the head of such a house is not 18 or older, special terms would have to be considered. Such a child would, in any event, be street wise and capable of using an ATM so perhaps age exceptions could be made. I am sure that together with the Department of Social Welfare, a plan could be made.
All other grants should fall way because people would receive four or five times the money they receive from any other grant. Parents would have money to pay for school fees. Feeding schemes at school could fall away.
They would get back their dignity. There will be food on the table for every South African. There would be no need for any South African to humiliate themselves by having to beg at robots any longer.
Older people, who are older and tired of going to work every day would be able to “retire” opening up positions for the younger, energetic people, who are longing to find employment. and go to work every day.
Working mothers who would love to stay and home and nurture and raise their children themselves, would be able to do so. Again, leaving the jobs open for younger applicants.
Youngsters who are itching and longing to get into the business world will have a little bit of capital to start off in the informal market and gain valuable experience in running a business, no matter how small..
There will be money circulating in the country. There will be more VAT for government.
Please don’t spoil the idea by deliberately lower the interest an individual would receive. Allow the economics dictate. The whole idea is to boost individual incomes and boost the flow of money in the country and boost the economy.
That is my dream for our beautiful, suffering, South Africa and all her people.
Thank you, in anticipation.
Yours sincerely,

June Fourie