Elderly tired and sunburnt while waiting for their new SASSA cards

Antonio Garces, a disabled pensioner was informed in the week of April 10, his SASSA card had to be renewed or he would not receive his pension.

After realising that both his wife, also disabled but able to walk with the use of a crutch and her sister’s cards expire end of April he accompanied them to the Florida Post Office, where they were informed that renewals of SASSA cards are not done there and they should rather try the Roodepoort Post Office. The Roodepoort Post Office again told them, after standing in the queue waiting to be assisted, they were unable to assist as their cables were stolen. After the Roodepoort Post Office, Garces, his wife and sister-in-law tried the Roodepoort SASSA office, which doesn’t do card renewals either. After all this, they ended up at the Westgate Post Office.

“There the queue was from the inside, all the way out of the building and doubled back from the road leading to the Woollies entrance,” Garces explained.

At 7:00 Garces’ wife and his sister-in-law stood in the already long queue, but were told the Post Office is offline and that if it does not come online by 14:00, everyone would have to go home and return the next day. On April 19 Garces’ wife returned to the Westgate Post Office, once again to no avail.

“This morning [April 20] being the 4th day, my wife and her sister got to the post office at 6am. Stood for three hours waiting for them to open, only to be told that they [the post office] can only assist 65 people. They are numbers 66 and 67. What do we do next? This is heartbreaking,” Garces said.

“Why are the SASSA offices not doing what is primarily, their responsibility? I can ask questions until the end of time but, I will just get more frustrated than I already am,” Garces stated in frustration.

Also read: Elderly resident reveals woeful SASSA experience

Another pensioner Glynn Barry went to Westgate on April 18 for the fourth time in hopes of getting her card renewed. She arrived at 7:00, with at least 100 people in the queue in front of her. At 16:30, the last four people were called in to be processed. Barry was the 25th customer in line, with still numerous customers behind her, all upset as they knew they would have to return the next day for another day such as that one.

“Many are unable to stand/ sit [Westgate does have chairs but not for all] for the whole day. We’re exposed to the elements, it’s cold in the morning and then later the sun beats down on you relentlessly. Vehicles are continuously up and down, we sit next to a receiving area plus the smell of garbage fills the air. By midday, many people have given up and gone home. Conditions have become unbearable for them,” Barry explained.
Barry also explained a gazebo is put up for those standing in the sun, but as the line is not being monitored and people get confused they jump the queue.

Another resident, known to the Record, expressed her anger.

Also read: Sassa urges social grant clients to use other payment methods

On April 18, she accompanied her 79-year-old father to the Westgate Post Office. At 8:00 they were standing in an already long queue. There was no shade, a few chairs were provided for the elderly, however not enough for all the people present. Residents had to go get more chairs to accommodate everyone. At 11:00 some shade was added for those standing in the sun, however also not enough for everyone.

“There has been no communication whatsoever, we had to go inside and ask numerous times to find out what is happening, the staff has been extremely rude and only one counter at first was available to help people, just after few hours they decided to open another two counters to assist people,” she stated.

At 17:00 the resident left with her father, hoping to get a number with which to return the next day, however, was rudely informed the Post Office works on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“I have…a painful burned body, tomorrow on the date mentioned above I must be there again at 5am to make sure I can have a spot for my dad and hopefully he would be able to get his pension card sorted tomorrow. How many others will also be there just to hope theirs will also be sorted?” she concluded.

The resident informed the Record that the security at Westgate Shopping Mall told them not to speak to the media as they are afraid of being targeted.

Record journalist Chanté Bolton visited the Westgate Post Office, after complaints from pensioners about the service.

“Upon arrival, I spoke to some of the residents in the queue, many of whom claimed to have been waiting from 5:00, some of whom have been waiting for two to three days, without being assisted,” Bolton said.

She said the people agreed to have her take a picture of the group of them waiting, in the parking lot, waiting to have their cards renewed. While taking pictures, a security guard approached Bolton, asking where she is from, after which she stated that she is a Roodepoort Record journalist. He informed her she had to sign in at the office and after finally locating the office she was told she needs to report to centre management, and then return to the office.

“After speaking to my editor, who confirmed I do not need to sign to take pictures in a public area such as a parking lot, I told the second security guard who walked with me to the office, that I will not be signing in and I asked him to direct me to the exit. He informed me the parking lot was a private area and told me to delete the photos I had taken,” Bolton stated.

On April 19 the Record contacted Paseka Letsatsi, head of communication for SASSA, as well as Johan Kruger, spokesperson for the South African Post Office along with Thabo Khumalo from Westgate Shopping Centre’s centre management, however by the time this article was published, no comment has been received.