The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) held open days and workshops for their Expanded Social Package (ESP) at the Coronationville, Danie van Zyl, Brixton and Westbury Recreation Centres from July 3 until July 7.
On Tuesday, July 4 at the Westbury Recreation Centre, senior residents from the community had been at the hall since 730 am but had not yet been registered as the ESP registration team were having issues with connecting to the CoJ Wifi at the centre.
“The issue now at this centre is basically connectivity. There is no network access, we currently have an IT guy that’s trying to get us connected to the networks failing which, he’ll use the router to try and connect us. Once that is done we’ll then be able to register the community for the benefits,” said the project manager Farida Taaka.
A senior resident, Ghandi Osman said, “We were here yesterday since 730 am and the people who do the work were here but they didn’t bring any computers, today it’s our second day, I was still here from 730 am, quite a few of our old people who are pensioners who are sick, they can’t walk, they can’t take their medication because they sitting and waiting here and the people didn’t help us see what’s the time now”.
He then added: “They brought brand new computers at 1 pm but up until now these people don’t know how to operate them. We have all our documents ready. The standby IT guy came in at past 10 am, but they still haven’t set up anything. We’re still waiting now.”
Related Story: The City of Johannesburg appeals to all those who can’t afford to pay for services to register for ESP
When asked if CoJ would extend the programme since they had already missed two days, Taaka said, “What we are actually looking at doing in the long term is setting up permanent offices and we are looking at spaces at clinics, but in order to register we need to be connected to CoJ networks.
“In the absence of those networks, we are looking at using our routers which will act as a network in the absence of an existing network.”
A few pensioners complained because they had been waiting for two days, eating chips from a Spaza shop which does not have the nutritional value they need, missing their hospital appointments and no one coming to see what was happening.
The seniors said that they were desperate and even if they had to wait all day, that is what they had to do. An action group came to shut the programme down and the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse had to be contacted to resolve the situation.
On Wednesday, the programme was up and running again and desperate pensioners and unemployed residents were registered for the ESP.
According to Taaka, the benefits are for metered and non-metered services, water and electricity, rates rebates, refuse and sewerage.
She explained that at the centres they scan the documentation, collect the applicants’ personal information, number of dependants, and based on the information provided to them, the system would calculate and tell them exactly which bands the applicant falls under because there are three bands, where the third band is your worst-off band with people earning no money or an income of up to R936 per month.
To qualify for the ESP package, one must be a South African citizen, must reside within CoJ boundaries and must have a monthly income not exceeding R5308. 20 per month.
Normal registration will continue at the closest Revenue Customer Service Centres: Roodepoort City Hall, Beladina Street, Traffic Department, Roodepoort CBD 61 Jorissen Street, Thuso House Building, Braamfontein. CJ Cronje Building, 80 Loveday Street, Johannesburg
For more information, contact City of Johannesburg, Social Development on 011 407 6688 or 6751 or visit the website: www.joburg.org.za
For more news follow us on these platforms:
Twitter: @SowetoUrban, Facebook: Soweto Urban News, Instagram: @SowetoUrban
News site 1: Westside-Eldos Urban News, News site 2: Soweto Urban News
