Concerns voiced after Sassa grants for March not yet paid

Some pensioners, who have not received their grants for March yet, voiced their concerns as they waited in line on Wednesday to renew their Sassa cards at the Truro Centre Post Office.

Those in the queue had many complaints regarding late grant payments which were supposed to be paid at the end of March and systems being offline at the Post Office for two days.

Remie Naidoo, who is in a wheelchair, said she had been waiting in line for hours and there were no toilets to use nearby.

She feared that her grant will not be paid out to her should her Sassa card not be renewed before the end of April.

I receive a caregiver’s grant and a pension. I have experienced short payments in the past. However, I am here today to renew my card. I have to take two taxi cabs to the post office which costs me R80.

Elizabeth Mezichels said that it is very difficult to make ends meet especially when the grant pays out later than expected.

There isn’t much money left over for spending after paying lights and water, I have to try and make ends meet with what I have.

Nancy Fortein, who looks after her brother who has a disability, said that she also has not received her brother’s disability grant.

I earn very little and I care for my brother. I have to pay rent and buy us food and my salary isn’t sufficient for the both of us.

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Thombeka Zondi said she has been walking to the Post Office for two days now from Honeyville in the Copesville area just to renew her card.

There are no toilets for us to use here and we get hungry waiting around all day and we don’t even know how long it will take.

A pensioner who did not want to be named said, “I came here at 6 am on Tuesday. I am a heart patient and I’m 71 years old. There is no system here. We have received no information as to how long this takes.”

On Tuesday they called the security company to watch us as if a bunch of old people can even defend themselves let alone attack anyone.

Communications and marketing spokesperson at Sassa, Sandy Godlwana, said the reasons for people not being paid could be attributed to a range of things like failed bank verification and beneficiaries not pitching up for reviews after being sent letters to visit a Sassa office for a review.

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Godlwana said should beneficiaries experience this they should visit a Sassa office or call Sassa with an ID number for them to check why they had not been paid.

KZN spokesperson for the Post Office, Nobuhle Njapha, said that people need not panic as there will be enough time to get their cards renewed.

The people should give it some time as our IT specialist is working on trying to resolve the problem with the system. Sometimes when we do too much of the same thing, for example the card renewal it can have an impact on the system.