HOPEFUL beneficiaries queued for hours outside the Glenashley post office on Tuesday, 22 December. The beneficiaries were in line to collect their Social Relief of Disaster Sassa grants ahead of the festive season.
Thabani Dlamini Jnr, who was in the queue, said he had been to Durban North post office at 5am before heading to Glenashley post office at 9am.
“People were already sleeping outside. No matter what time you go there, there are always long queues. This is the third time I have gone there. The first time I went there at 7am and that was too late. This time I went at 5am and it was still too late,” he said.
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Dalmini said he usually receives his grant as a deposit into his bank account.
“People are supposed to receive the money in their bank accounts. I think that’s why there is a sudden influx of people queuing,” he added.
Another beneficiary who wanted to remain anonymous, said: “We want the money to be deposited into our bank accounts. We are struggling to come here and queue for so long. We have to keep coming and going. We don’t have any money for transport.”
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Innocent Ngobese, who was also in the queue said: “I came here at 4am. I have two children and I am not working. For two months I have not received my grant.”
Nobuhle Njapha, spokesperson for the South African Post Office said the Glenashley post office serves 100 to 130 SRD customers a day.
“To be in line with the Covid-19 regulations, we request that only SRD customers with an SMS visit the branch,” she said.
Njapha added that the Glenashley post office uses a ticket system to manage queues. “This assists the office to control the crowd and exercise social distancing,” she said.
In a statement, on their Twitter account, Sassa said clients whose applications for the Covid-19 SRD grant were declined can apply to Sassa for a reconsideration of its decision via their website.
For more information, email: srd@sassa.gov.za, WhatsApp 082 046 8553 or use the USSD code: *134*7737#.
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