Pensioners to scrub Sassa site
Grants office is their Mandela Day project
ARMED with rubber gloves and cleaning detergents, a group of Phoenix pensioners will spend Mandela Day, Friday July 18, mopping up their “disgusting” social grant office.
Spurred on by what they say is the unhygienic state of the building, the group of senior citizens will be dedicating their 67 minutes to scrubbing clean the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) office toilet facilities.
Rose Michael, a 59-year-old pensioner on a disability grant, and her friends plan on descending on the local offices.
“The toilets and wash basins are grey. That’s how disgusting it is. We have to wait until we get home to use the toilet. This is just unacceptable.”
The pensioners’ action comes in the wake of a press release from the DA about an unannounced inspection a week ago.
The DA’s Rishigen Viranna has since written to the MEC of social development in KwaZulu-Natal, Weziwe Thusi, asking that the building undergo an immediate renovation. Viranna said the inspection team found: Unhygienic ablution facilities; Unstable metal roof sheeting; Many leaks in the roofing structure, obliging staff to use buckets to prevent flooding;
A broken air-conditioning system, which is said to have resulted in patrons fainting; and
Unkempt lawns. “The DA is extremely concerned by these findings. It’s completely unacceptable that this facility should be in such a state,” said Viranna.
Another pensioner said she felt as though their pleas went unheeded.
“I’ve been going there for about seven years and nothing has changed in that time.
“It’s a danger zone — the loose metal sheeting could easily fall from the roof and seriously hurt someone.”
The office of the MEC did not respond to queries and referred Sunday Times Extra to Sassa.
Sassa spokesman Mbizeni Mdlalose said this was the first time the organisation had received com- plaints about its Phoenix offices.
“Sassa and the Department of Social Development are attending to the matter. Sassa is a tenant in the building through the Department of Public Works. We were made aware that public works is in the process of renovating the building,’’ said Mdlalose.