Pubdate: Mon, 08 Oct 2007 Source: Cape Times (South Africa) Copyright: 2007 Cape Times Contact: http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=3232 Website: http://www.capetimes.co.za/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2938 Page 3 CHILD SUPPORT GRANTS 'USED TO SUPPORT MOTHERS' TIK HABITS' Community activists have called for a change in the way the child support grant is paid, saying many young mothers addicted to tik are using the money to feed their drug habit. "There should be goals for those receiving child support grants - there should not be a dependence on grants," said William Williams, programme manager for job-creation NGO Self-Help Manenberg. "The unemployed receiving social grants should be actively looking for work," he said. He also suggested that instead of cash payouts, grants be paid in vouchers that could be exchanged at supermarkets. He said parents using grant money to fuel their addictions was not new. "It used to be alcohol, it changed to other substances and now it's tik. Family members should report to social services anyone using grant money to pay for tik," said Williams. "Also, tik dealers target kids, and our job is to prevent kids going in that direction." Abeda Benjamin, who converted her Mitchells Plain home into a drug rehabilitation centre, said there were "many cases" where mothers used their child support grants to buy drugs. "I once treated a tik addict with three children who would run to the tik dealers whenever she got paid the child support grant," she said. This had stopped only after the woman's mother reported her to social services and the children were transferred into their grandmother's care. "If Social Services does not do something about this it will get out of hand, because a lot of tik addicts are giving birth to babies, in some instances prostituting themselves for the drug," said Benjamin. Ellapen Rapiti, a family doctor working in Mitchells Plain, said the easy availability of child support grants worsened the problem of young women abusing tik. "The willy-nilly dishing out of money will not solve the problem [of poverty]. We need to get the families [of these young women] involved." Rapiti said in instances where it could be proved mothers were addicted to drugs, they should be prevented from receiving child support grants. "Social services should ensure that parents show they are drug-free. The government needs to review and revamp its social grants policy," says Rapiti. Henry da Grass, general manager of grant administration for the SA Social Security Agency, said no complaints had been received about mothers using their grant payments to buy tik. "We are aware of money-lenders at paypoints demanding money from grant recipients and asking astronomical interest rates," said Da Grass. He appealed to anyone with information about abuses to call 021 469 0256. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart