‘Zero tax should be paid by people 60 and over’: Pensioner demands change
· The South African
Following a recent The South African article on pensioner grant amounts, readers flooded the comments section with sharply divided views on who should carry the cost of SASSA support. Among the reactions, one commenter’s frustration over taxation stood out.
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Patti Wright, 65, argued that older South Africans should be exempt from taxation altogether. “Then Zero tax should be paid by people 60 and over,” she wrote, adding that she still pays tax on her retirement savings.
Rates rebate frustration adds fuel
Wright went further, revealing that she does not qualify for a rate rebate because she has retirement savings. She said this disqualification means her taxes are effectively funding grants for others. “Which pays for the millions of people collecting free money from Sassa?” she wrote, directing her frustration at the tax system rather than at grant recipients specifically.
She closed her comment with a pointed message aimed at SASSA beneficiaries: “Yes the tax payers have to pay for your free money think about that!”
Other readers weigh in
Not all commenters agreed with the framing. Jan Mahlaela offered a simpler take on the broader grant conversation, saying the pensioner amount under discussion was “reasonable.” The contrast between the two views reflects an ongoing tension in the comments section between taxpayers who feel burdened by the cost of social grants and readers who believe current grant amounts remain fair or even insufficient given the cost of living.
The exchange highlights a recurring fault line in South Africa’s welfare debate: older, tax-paying citizens who saved for retirement often argue they are penalised twice – once through direct taxation, and again through disqualification from rebates meant to ease financial pressure in old age. Meanwhile, SASSA beneficiaries and their supporters continue to push back against the idea that grants amount to “free money,” pointing to the realities of poverty and unemployment driving reliance on the SRD and other grants.
The debate remains unresolved, with commenters continuing to trade views in the comments section under the original article.
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