Alinda Barnard, Welkom:
I address this letter to Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa.
My husband was the only breadwinner in our house.
I paid my dues by cleaning my own house, cooking and looking after my two children.
My husband worked on the mine and paid tax on his income. After a near fatal accident, he had to retire on a disability pension at the age of 45.
Each month he pays tax on his pension. Of the R8 500 he receives monthly, he must pay R3 000 for tax. It seems as if he has been paying tax to be on pension. So he is super-super taxed.
Rand Mutual Assurance gave him a disability payout because he can never work again.
He loved working.
My husband uses medicine which keeps him in a drugged state, and without it he goes out of his mind with anguish.
I just want to enquire what the elderly and disabled people are good for in our country.
Are we not still people with dreams of living without being sustained by our children?
This situation seems to be the end for the disabled and the elderly.
We still teach young children to respect other people and give dignity to all.
Where is our dignity if we pay taxes our whole life and still have to do with small pensions?
Are we not allowed to live without worry?
