Sassa slated over Khayelitsha pay point shutdown

THE SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has been slated for allowing Khayelitsha’s only service point to be closed for nearly a year.

Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said the service point in Harare Square was closed in February last year following continuous armed robberies, which had led to agency staff refusing to go back to work until safety issues were addressed.

But this had not yet happened,

Tyhido said. “The Sassa regional manager must be fired. We met him and advised him to open a service point.

“We also advised, as a short-term solution, that neighbourhood watch members were willing to work with security and be paid a stipend. We also suggested they engage with the City to find a hall or any other public space that can be turned into a service point. Their meeting with us was just to tick a box because they never got back to us.

“The entire Khayelitsha has been depending on a small local office in which Sassa shares the space with other departments. Residents who live far and need help with applications, cards or social grants have to use the same grant money for transportation. For a whole year they have been standing in long lines, come rain or shine,” said Tyhido.

Sassa acting regional manager Henry De Grass said they plan to open service points some time this month.

“In the meantime services for the entire Khayelitsha are done at the local office and information pertaining to the closure of service points was done through local structures. The officials work beyond the point of call to ensure that no client leaves the offices without getting the service,” De Grass said.

Sassa said it had been engaging the City to secure space at the Kuyasa Library, and they were still waiting for a response.

City acting media manager A’Eysha Kassiem said: “The City’s Property Management department has confirmed that no application to lease premises at the Kuyasa Library has been received from Sassa.

“The relevant Sassa official is advised to contact Mr Allison Ford, at the Property Management office.”