Cape Town – The Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) fears scores of elderly beneficiaries will have to sleep outside a Sassa office yet again after the agency allegedly failed to secure an additional collection facility.
In desperate attempts to get grant money last month, hundreds of people slept out in the cold at the Khayelitsha Mall, where the only collection office in the area is located.
In efforts to resolve the situation, the KDF, the SA Humans Right Commission and Sassa officials met and agreed that there should be an additional venue as the small office wasn't equipped to deal with all the beneficiaries.
KDF chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said they assisted Sassa officials to secure a building, but instead they made “many excuses”.
“We spoke to the KCT (Khayelitsha Community Trust) about lending Sassa the facility for three months at no cost and they agreed,” said Tyhido.
“Sassa officials came up with many excuses about why they cannot take up the offer. We also gave another suggestion of a city-owned vacant building in Harare Square.
"To be honest, Sassa in the Western Cape just doesn’t care about people from the township, that is why they are not acting with urgency. There is no social distancing and they can’t assist everyone,” said Tyhido.
Sassa spokesperson Shivani Wahab said they were in the process of inspecting an additional facility.
She said management at their Sassa Khayelitsha office advised clients on the perils of sleeping outside.
“Clients are all given appointments to assist scheduled visits to the office, and deter any sleepovers. The City Hall we use as a service point is closed under lockdown.
"Due to this and the current spatial constraints at the Sassa Khayelitsha local office, Sassa has identified an alternate venue in the vicinity and we are in the process inspecting the identified venue to ensure compliance,” she said.
Site C resident Nobesuthu Mjekuja said on Tuesday that she visited the office that day and on Monday, but had not been assisted as officials only help a certain number of clients daily.
“I have been waiting here since the early hours of the morning in the hope that maybe today I’ll get in. I was here yesterday as well and they only took 120 people, I was number 200 in line, I don't know what to do anymore,” she said.
Sassa last month experienced a system glitch at its pay points that affected thousands of the elderly and disabled across the country, and saw some beneficiaries receiving duplicate payments while others returned home empty-handed.
Meanwhile, Sassa chief executive officer Busisiwe Memela said they have kept their promise to pay at least 100 000 people who applied for the Special Social Relief of Distress.
Beneficiaries can check the status of their applications online on https://srd.sassa.gov.za/sc19/status or alternatively by adding GovChat WhatsApp on 082 046 8553, open chat, type “Status” and Send.
Social grant enquiries can be made on Sassa’s toll-free number 080 060 1011.
Additional reporting by Athandile Siyo
Cape Times