Sassa payment glitch hits pockets

SOCIAL grants payout got off to a shaky start in some parts of the country with hundreds of pensioners returning home empty-handed following a “shortage of fund and payment glitches” at several paypoints in KwaZulu-Natal.

Several SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) pay stations at the post office and Spar in Pinetown, and the Workshop in the Durban CBD left hundreds of frustrated and hungry pensioners. They said it seemed like they were being “punished” by the government.

Sassa spokesperson Sandy Godlwana confirmed the system payment glitches and said the problem was in the transferring of funds to paypoints.

She said pensioners who used retailers, banks and the post office as their payment-points had been most affected. “In some of the areas, there was also a shortage of funds, mainly because those people who could not access funds at retailers and banks went to queue at the post offices,” said Godlwana.

She said that funds were released to beneficiaries’ accounts after 3pm yesterday and could be accessed from today.

In a bid to ensure compliance with the state of disaster requirements and to protect the vulnerable from the month-end rush, Sassa implemented the staggering of social grant payments.

Yesterday, the old-age pensions and the disability grants were to be paid out – while payments for child support grants, foster child grants and care dependency grants were to be made available from tomorrow.

“Sassa profusely apologises to all beneficiaries for the inconvenience caused by this,” said Godlwana.

Physical distancing was not observed and many pensioners were seen without the mandatory face masks. Also no officials were seen monitoring compliance to the Covid19 regulations.

Pinetown pensioner Richards Khwela, 69, said he had been standing in the queue from 5am, in the hope of getting paid early.

“Why is the government doing this to us? They are punishing us,” said Khwela.

He said the government needed to come up with another way to facilitate payment.

“As older people, we are at risk of being killed by this virus. It scares me to see so many people in the lines, with no social distancing or masks.

“But, I need my money to buy food. I have to wait…” he said.

| SIMPHIWE MBOKAZI African News Agency (ANA) SASSA grant beneficiaries queue at Jabulani Mall in Soweto yesterday. Many people expressed their anger over officials who did not give them water to drink and for not working at a fast pace.

| ARMAND HOUGH African News Agency SASSA apologised for a glitch that left thousands of beneficiaries stranded without cash, such as these people in Bellville, Cape Town.

African News Agency (ANA) | OUPA MOKOENA BENEFICIARIES queue at Ga-Rankuwa City in Tshwane yesterday.

MBOKAZI African News Agency (ANA) | SIMPHIWE SOCIAL distancing was not strictly adhered to at Jabulani Mall in Soweto.

REUTERS THOMAS MUKOYA PEOPLE use boats to carry their belongings after their homes were flooded when the River Nzoia burst its banks in Kenya.