Julius Malema Says SASSA Grant Beneficiaries Should Not Pay for Water and Electricity

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema has called for free municipal services for social grant recipients while reaffirming his party’s commitment to job insourcing. Speaking to a large crowd of supporters at KaMaqhekeza Stadium in Mpumalanga, Malema outlined key aspects of the EFF’s social and economic platform, placing the rising cost of living at the center of his address.

At the core of Malema’s message was the argument that beneficiaries of South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grants should be exempt from paying municipal water and electricity bills. He asserted that social grants are intended to help vulnerable citizens cover basic survival needs, such as food and healthcare, rather than being redirected to pay for municipal utilities. For millions of low-income households across South Africa,monthly grant payouts represent the sole source of income, making it difficult to stretch limited funds across basic necessities and escalating utility fees.

Alongside his focus on utility relief, Malema reiterated the party’s long-standing support for insourcing public sector jobs. Under an insourcing policy, government entities and municipal bodies hire workers directly instead of outsourcing services to private contractors. The EFF has consistently promoted this approach as a way to eliminate middleman margins, provide workers with better job security and benefits, and improve overall public service delivery.

While the proposal to grant free water and electricity to SASSA beneficiaries addresses genuine economic hardship, implementing such a policy presents practical financial challenges. Exemption programs require clear regulatory frameworks to determine eligibility, prevent system abuse, and secure alternative funding sources. Because municipal governments rely heavily on utility revenues to maintain infrastructure and fund basic operations, local authorities would need financial backing from national budgets to absorb the costs of providing free services on a broad scale.

Malema’s address fits into the EFF’s broader campaign strategy focused on economic inequality, poverty alleviation, and labor rights. As South Africans continue to navigate persistent economic pressure, the party’s proposals highlight the ongoing political debate over how best to protect financially vulnerable households without undermining the financial sustainability of local government institutions.

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