Demands for an increase in the social support benefit R370 amid rising cost of living

A video demonstrating problems with the state system in Kaushambi, Uttar Pradesh, has gone viral on social media. The video features a person with disabilities talking about their situation, claiming that they have been visiting the district administration office (Kallerit) for about a year but have only received promises so far.

According to reports, the video was filmed on August 11th near the office of the Kaushambi district administrator, Amit Pala. Dinanath Mishra, a resident of Nizampur Naughira from the Siratau area, showed his problem to the camera. According to Dinanath, he applied for a new wheelchair about a year ago but has still not received this assistance.

Dinanath stated that he repeatedly visited Kallerit. Each time, he was sent back, citing the absence of an official in the office or using the phrase 'saab chale gaye hain' (the boss has left). Due to this prolonged hassle, he recorded the video, which subsequently attracted public attention on social media.

He also mentioned that about eight years ago, Deputy Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya provided him with a wheelchair. After long use, this wheelchair broke down, causing difficulties with daily mobility, and the need for a new one arose.

To obtain a new wheelchair, Dinanath applied to the relevant department. He claims that after submitting the application, he had to spend a long time going around government institutions. He also mentioned instances where he was denied a meeting with an official when visiting Kallerit. It is this video, reflecting his problem, that is currently circulating online.

When discussing the matter over the phone with the disability affairs officer, Vikas Verma, he provided information regarding the departmental procedure concerning Dinanath's case. Vikas Verma reported that Dinanath's form was filled out on July 13, 2026, and the medical examination was conducted on August 3, 2026. The officer noted that they are now awaiting the arrival of the wheelchair itself, and as soon as the department receives it, Dinanath will be provided with it on a priority basis. Thus, the department stated that the application submission and medical examination process is complete, while the disabled person himself is still waiting for the wheelchair.

Dinanath's issues have raised questions about the system of aid provision and the reception of disabled individuals in government institutions. On one hand, the aid recipient speaks of long visits to offices hoping to receive assistance, while on the other, the department asserts that the necessary procedures have been completed and the wheelchair will be issued as soon as resources become available. Currently, Dinanath is waiting to receive a new wheelchair because mobility has become difficult after the old one broke. Now it remains to find out exactly when the department will provide him with the wheelchair according to the stated procedure.

Fargana Rakhman, a social worker from Cape Town with over twenty years of experience in social services, encountered an unexpected hurdle while attempting to legally acquire a firearm for self-defense—her religious head covering, the hijab.

Rakhman, aged 44, began preparing for the licensing process in 2023 by studying the required educational materials. After completing training at a weapons handling center, she obtained certificates in weapon control, handling, and shooting. The total cost for training and materials amounted to approximately 1700 Rand.

She then underwent a competency assessment procedure with SAPS, submitting her certificates and paying fees at the local police station. When applying for the license, which was for self-defense, Rakhman provided detailed information about her intentions, including crime statistics, documents related to her work, and information from a parliamentary session regarding attacks on social workers.

At the local SAPS office, Rakhman learned for the first time that wearing a hijab in a photograph could cause issues. A police officer suggested that the application might be rejected because of this. She was advised to obtain a letter from a local mufti explaining why she, as a Muslim woman, wears a hijab.

After receiving such a letter, the process continued. Rakhman's husband used an application to track the application's progress to the national SAPS office. However, by early July, the application had still not been finalized, exceeding the stipulated 120-day waiting period.

In late July, her husband informed her about the issue and a note regarding missing documents. Following advice, she contacted the assigned weapons officer at the local SAPS branch. When the officer reviewed the case, it was marked 'under correspondence,' which caused confusion. Later, upon visiting the provincial office, she discovered that her application had been returned, and a large red cross was placed next to her photograph.

The officer stated that the rejection was due to the hijab. Rakhman objected, asserting that her face was completely visible in the submitted photograph. She was offered the choice of either wearing a wig or using artificial intelligence (AI). Rakhman expressed shock, noting that this does not reflect her true identity, as photos in a hijab also appear on her passport, ID, and driver's license.

Currently, Rakhman has submitted an affidavit to the national SAPS office requesting a written explanation for the red cross and the delay. She emphasized that this dispute has turned into a matter of religious freedom and equal treatment. At the time of publication, the national SAPS made no comments.

As Women's Month is celebrated in South Africa, activists state that there is little to celebrate because women continue to face gender-based violence, femicide, poverty, and insecurity, nearly nine months after gender-based violence was classified as a national disaster.

The organization Abahlali baseMjondolo emphasized that poor women, especially those living in slum camps, are forced to support their families independently despite the lack of adequate housing, basic services, and a sense of security. The organization stated: 'This is not a month of celebration. No woman in South Africa is free. All women are at risk of violence. Poor women remain deeply oppressed.'

Abahlali reported that women in informal settlements can be in danger simply trying to access basic services, with some having to go to communal taps after dark. The movement noted that 'for millions of poor women in shacks, tin houses, and backyards, every day is a struggle for survival.'

Sabrina Walter, founder of Women For Change, also criticized the government's response to gender-based violence, noting that the urgency promised to women upon declaring a national disaster on December 19, 2025, has not led to tangible action. Walter stated: 'Nine months. Nine months since South African women were promised urgency. Nine months since families believed that perhaps finally, women and children would receive attention.'

She added that Women For Change had received no significant public updates on what had been implemented since the disaster declaration, with the only national acknowledgment being a 27-second mention during the State Address. Walter's concern intensified after visiting the national conference on gender-based violence, which was supposed to be opened by the Minister of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities. 'She never showed up, and I couldn't help but wonder: if the minister responsible for leading the response to a national disaster cannot even speak to those working on the front lines, then where are we as a country?' she said.

These statements came as Abahlali uses Women's Month to honor the memory of activists killed while fighting for land, housing, justice, and dignity. Among them is 17-year-old Ngobile Nzusa, who was killed by a police officer during a road blockade in Cato Crest on September 30, 2013. According to Abahlali, Nzusa, a high school student, joined a protest against attacks on land occupation in Marikana in Cato Manor and was dedicated to the fight for land.

The movement also paid tribute to Thuli Ndlovu, an Abahlali leader in KwaNdengezi, who fought for her community's land, housing, and dignity before being killed on September 27, 2014. Nokutula Mabaso, mother, organizer, and leader of the eKhenana commune and the Abahlali Women's League, who was killed on May 5, 2022, while her community was under attack, was also remembered. Abahlali noted: 'Thuli and Nokutula were leaders. We also honor other women who gave their lives in the fight for justice.'

The organization also expressed respect for Fikile Ntshangase, a leading member of the Mfolozi Environmental Justice Organization, who campaigned against coal mining and was killed on October 22, 2020. Furthermore, Babita Deokaran, a whistleblower from the Gauteng Department of Health who exposed corruption and alleged theft of public funds intended for hospitals and clinics, was killed in 2021.

Walter stated that the deaths of women and girls continue to demonstrate the devastating consequences of a system that, according to activists, fails to protect vulnerable people. 'Meanwhile, women keep dying. Nomzila. Palesa. Entle. Chilkana. On the first day of Women's Month—Timing. A woman who could live today if the system hadn't let her down,' she said.

Walter mentioned Timing, who had previously reported violence and against whom a case was filed against the alleged aggressor, who was later granted bail. She was allegedly killed a few days later. 'How many more names must we name before action replaces promises?' Walter asked.

Abahlali insists that meaningful recognition for women must go beyond political speeches and flowers, instead demanding safe access to land and decent housing, basic services, an end to political killings and intimidation, and more decisive action against gender-based violence. The organization also called for decent work, healthcare and education, reproductive health and contraception, guaranteed income recognizing unpaid care, measures to reduce food prices, and accountability for activist murders.

Abahlali stressed: 'We are not interested in politics that come with speeches and flowers and say nothing about the oppression we live in, and nothing about our leaders who gave their lives fighting this oppression.'

Walter warned that Women's Day should not become another symbolic event while families mourn. 'Women's Day cannot be another day of flowers, hashtags, and speeches while women continue to bury their daughters, mothers, sisters, and friends.'

Abahlali also cautioned against attempts to pit poor women in South Africa against migrants and refugees, asserting that the real problems for poor communities are lack of land, unemployment, and state neglect. The movement stated that cases related to activist murders must not be forgotten or closed without holding perpetrators accountable. 'Poor women are not asking to be celebrated. We demand safety, housing, to be heard, to live,' Abahlali concluded.

Despite the concerns, Walter maintained hope through the women she met throughout her life who continue to fight violence and oppression. 'No matter how heavy my heart is today, I refuse to lose hope,' she said. She noted that the strength of women lies not in being 'indestructible,' but in their ability to recover and support each other.

Abahlali concluded that Women's Month should be a period of remembrance, organization, and struggle until women can live safely and with dignity. 'Until that happens, August cannot be a month of celebration. It must be a month of remembrance, a month of organization, a month of struggle,' the organization stated.