Cape Town - The Department of Social Development’s new initiative to bring its services closer to the masses has been given the thumbs-up from people with disabilities.
On Wednesday the department launched its pilot online disability grant booking system at the GovChat offices in Cape Town.
According to South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) officials, the system will enable prospective Sassa temporary disability grant recipients to book their medical assessments without physically visiting their local Sassa offices.
Speaking at the launch of the tech-savvy initiative, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said the system was aimed at significantly improving the lives of people with disabilities in a practical sense and as a response to the overflow of temporary grants applicants at local Sassa branches.
“The system forms part of Sassa’s strategy to improve its services through efficient use of digital technology, which will significantly cut down on the amount of time and costs for both Sassa and applicants.
“At the end of December, 200 000 temporary disability grants expired. These were the grants with a medical assessment expiry period between February 2020 and December 2020, which were kept in payment as part of the special directives in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This saw our offices overwhelmed with desperate clients attempting to re-apply for the temporary disability grants. The situation forced us to adopt innovative ways of providing services to our people,” said Zulu.
“Bringing us to today – as we celebrate 27 years of freedom and democracy in South Africa, we are launching the pilot version of the online booking system on a regional scale before rolling it out nationally.
“I have directed Sassa to work closely with individuals and organisations representing persons with disabilities during the piloting phase to share that the online booking system caters to their needs. It must respond to the lived experience of persons with disabilities,” added Zulu.
Deaf Federation Western Cape director Jabaar Mohamed said: “We’re happy about the launch, it’s a step in the right direction for Sassa and we can‘t wait to see how they’ll incorporate more features sensitive to the needs of people living with disabilities, including working with communities and specialists within the communities of the differently-abled to better provide services to them.”
Sassa disability grant applicant, 45-year-old Robertha Leibrandt from Bellville South, said she felt relieved when she heard about the system as it meant less time at the Sassa offices.
“I’m happy, this means that I don’t have to go and stand in long queues to book an appointment. I suffer from asthma and the weather is not always kind. I struggle so much, but now I won’t, because I’ll be able to do this from the comfort of my own home. The system is simple and easy to use,” said Leibrandt.