Pensioners left in lurch

IT IS UNACCEPTABLE for the government not to pay thousands of pensioners their pensions.

This mishap has created serious financial hardship for our pensioners who have received a pittance of an increase this year.

The Democratic Liberal Congress (DLC) has written to the minister of social development and the CEO of Sassa to provide a valid explanation for freezing thousands of grants.

Thousands of pensioners were shocked when they could not withdraw their pensions from ATMs and the various accredited merchants on pension payment day.

Thousands of people did not receive their pension for March due to an unprecedented issue with the Sassa payment system.

The non-payment of the grants has placed pensioners in a very unfortunate financial situation. They depend on their grants for the payment of their utility bills and the provision of food for their families.

Since the March pension payment date, pensioners have been running around daily to Sassa and the Post Office seeking answers about their grant suspension, without any satisfactory results.

It is really sad when pensioners and others are treated shabbily by the government. This must never happen again. The DLC has also called on the eThekwini Municipality to be lenient in terms of any disconnections in respect of pensioners and disability grantees who have become victims of the non-payment of their pensions.

The DLC has called on the minister to urgently address this mishap and restore dignity to all our pensioners so that they may be able to buy food and pay their utility accounts.

PATRICK PILLAY

Leader Democratic Liberal Congress

(DLC)