The report also alleged that the high cost drivers for this loss were cash-in-transit heists and security fees, which the Post Office had to pay to ensure hard cash was delivered effectively to its paypoints.

“The weekend media reports suggesting that the post office may not be able to process social grants payments are incorrect. We assure everyone that social grant payments to all the more than 11 million Sassa beneficiaries will not be disrupted,” SAPO and SASSA said in a joint statement.

They said the beneficiary funds were directly deposited into the accounts of social grant beneficiaries every month by Sassa and Sapo served as a distribution agent of the grants, which were deposited into the Post Bank Sassa/Sapo gold-card accounts.

“The SASSA / SAPO gold accounts are opened and managed in accordance with the contract between Sassa and Sapo.”

They said social grant beneficiaries then had a choice as to where they wished to access the funds. This may be through bank ATMs, merchant point-of-sale devices, post offices or at Sassa cash paypoints.

“There is no requirement for Sapo funds to be utilised to pay grant beneficiaries. Therefore, the weekend media reports are inaccurate to state that beneficiaries might not get paid because of Sapo.”

The organisations said the report that Sapo was considering closing grant payments paypoints was also inaccurate and misleading.

“There are 1,740 cash paypoints throughout the country, which are serviced monthly.”

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