WATCH: Thokoza’s Sassa branch caught in corruption allegations
Covid-19 Working Class Campaign demands disciplinary action against Sassa's officials who it accuses of taking bribes at the Thokoza branch.
Frustrated Kathorus residents marched against the alleged corruption and bribery looming at the Sassa offices in Thokoza on October 4.
This follows complaints by many locals who struggle to register, while others are rejected for the Covid-19 Social Relief Distress (SRD) grant.
They accused Sassa officials of taking bribes in exchange for assisting residents with checking their application status, as well as registration for the Covid-19 SRD grant, which was reintroduced to help unemployed South African during these trying times.
The group called Covid-19 Working Class Campaign (CWCC), which organised the march demands the immediate processing of the SRD R350 grant applications for all unemployed individuals between the ages of 18-59.
CWCC campaign coordinator Khongelani Hlungwani told the MAIL that they have been assisting community members around Johannesburg to apply for the past four weeks because they realised that some people do not have data and smartphones.
He said the residents’ applications have been declined without valid reasons.
“Some are declined because Sassa claims that they getting UIF money while they are not,” said Hlungwani.
“It also claims that some applied for NSFAS. They did apply, but some of them are still in Grade 12 and they have not yet received that NSFAS money.
“Recently, in Thokoza we found that many elderly citizens who went to check their statuses and those who went to collect their R350 are expected to pay R50 bribe to get assistance faster than other people.”
Sibusiso Miya said he was shocked after his application was rejected by Sassa, which claimed he did not qualify because he has a source of income.
“This has affected me badly because I’ve been unemployed for three years. I do not have any source of income. It’s hard because we need to pay rent, food and other things in the household,” said Miya.
January Masimula added he has been unemployed for over five years but he still does not qualify for the R350 grant.
“What happened is that I used to work for the municipality at the call centre in 2014. The municipality did not remove our names on its database after our contract concluded in 2016,” he continued.
“We were never given forms so that we could claim our UIF. We were sent back and forth between the municipality and the Department of Labour. To date, we are unable to claim our money.”
Masimula said this could be the reason his application is rejected.
“The situation is bad because I have two children and I am unemployed. Both my children are boys and they are still in high school. The youngest is 18 and the oldest is 23. They can also see how bad the situation is at home because I am not working,” said Masimula.
CWCC handed over a memorandum of demand to Sassa Thokoza branch manager Nthabiseng Tshenase.
The demands included in the memorandum
• An end to the systemic use of Sars, NSFAS, UIF, identity theft, EPWPs and CWPs as excuses to applicants.
• An end to the practice of requesting affidavits to prove that applicants do not have an alternative source of income, as many applicants have been forced repeatedly to make affidavits.
• An immediate end to the discontinuation of the R350 grant to approved applicants, and an immediate enquiry into why many deserving applicants are being disqualified from the R350 grant.
• An immediate construction of a Sassa office in Daveyton for easy access of the unemployed, disabled and elderly.
• Sassa must embark on a roadshow to directly account to the communities about the declined applications.
• Sassa officials must treat people with respect.
SASSA Thokoza branch manager said they have heard the grievances and noted that there seem to be more complaints about the R350 SRD grant, which is a government programme and it is a national programme.
She said the grant is applied online, adding that nobody comes to the office to apply for it.
“Having listened to all grievances and complaints that you want the government to correct and assist you with, I accept the memorandum on behalf of the local office. We will take the memorandum to our principals from the district, the regional office and head office.”
She said Sassa’s head office is the correct structure to respond to because it initiated the programme.
“With regards to Thokoza’s issues, I am making it a commitment to talk to our officials and see how we resolve whatever that is mentioned in the memorandum,” said Tshenase.
