President Cyril Ramaphosa’s panel of economic advisers has recommended the extension of the emergency Covid-19 social grant for a period “of a few months” after the end of the national state of disaster, but stayed on script with existing Treasury policy on extending social welfare payments.

In a briefing note sent to Ramaphosa ahead of the state of the nation address in February, the presidential economic advisory council said the R350 social relief of distress grant should be maintained beyond the scheduled March end date. But the advisers argued against it being made permanent without an “affordability and economic assessment” being concluded...