Advocacy groups confident in their SRD grant case against the State

JOHANNESBURG – Advocacy groups say they are confident in their social relief distress (SRD) grant case against the State.

This week, the High Court in Pretoria granted Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe leave to appeal the court's ruling that declared the 2023 regulations unconstitutional.

The organisations say they are disappointed that the State decided to appeal the case but are not surprised by their action.

In January 2025, the High Court in Pretoria handed down its judgment invalidating the R370 SRD grant and the online application requirement that recipients needed to fulfil.

The advocacy groups say the department’s appeal effectively suspends the SRD grant that millions of South Africans would have received.  

However, the Social Development Department's legal services acting chief director - Luyanda Mtshotshisa - says there is a misunderstanding of the SRD system.

“It is mentioned as a grant in the papers and in the judgment, and is actually not a grant altogether, it's a social relief of distress - which is temporary in nature, which seeks to serve a particular purpose at a particular time. So, there has been no clear understanding in terms of judgment as to the connection between the two departments with regard to this particular issue.”

He adds it should be noted that the grant also depends on the budget that is available from National  Treasury.