Local SASSA grant recipients left frustrated
Many have been left disappointed, frustrated, and almost in tears after their funds have been delayed by Postbank’s new malfunctioning payment system.
SEDIBENG.- Like many South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) social grant recipients across the country, locals have also been suffering.
Many have been left disappointed, frustrated, and almost in tears after their funds have been delayed by Postbank’s new malfunctioning payment system. From Sebokeng right to the endpoint of Vereeniging, the grant recipients have been waiting in long queues to receive their grants, only to be turned back.
Many are told that the grants do reflect in their accounts but that there is a ‘glitch’ because of system migration. The situation is sad to see as many pensioners are left without a penny during this time of the month.
As they told Sedibeng Ster, they are left with nothing:
“We do not have anything, our children have no food for school, some of us are on medication that needs to be bought from pharmacies and we have run out (of both money and medication). Do we have to die, Does the government care?” asked a group of elderly people.
Their anger also arose from the fact that they had asked a local taxi driver to transport them, as a group, to one of the local payout points with the promise of paying him later in the afternoon after they had all received their grants. This was not to be, and they have been left with a ‘debt’ to pay since as a ‘Good Samaritan’ he picked them up in the afternoon and dropped them at their different destinations.
Other recipients have resorted to going to ‘Mashonisa’s’ (money lenders) to borrow money for them to ‘keep the fires burning’, also leaving them with unwanted, and unplanned debt.
Postbank said, this week, that it was working on the problem. Its spokesperson, Bongani Diako is also reported to have said that they suspected the migration to have been the cause of the problem as they haven’t had issues with the system since February.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, and Minister of Communication, Mondli Gungubele were expected to address the country (media) on this matter today.
