Social grant beneficiaries in KwaZulu-Natal were told to withdraw their money from ATMs and retailers after several Post Office branches in the province ran out of money on Tuesday.
This as civil society decried the issues that continue to plague Sassa in the disbursement of grants, saying hardly a month passed without a problem reported from the entity.
Postbank spokesperson, Bongani Diako said pensioners who were set to receive their payments on Tuesday should make use of retailers that include Boxer, Pick n Pay, Spar, Shoprite, Usave and ATMs instead of Post Office branches.
“This is due to many Post Office branches in KwaZulu-Natal having reported that they anticipate to have insufficient cash in store as a result of cash delivery delays.
“The Sassa gold cards operate like any other bank card and can be used to make cash withdrawals from any bank ATM.
“The cards can also be used to make withdrawals over the till inside retail stores as well as make in-store purchases.
“Post Office branches in KwaZulu-Natal will be open and operational to assist social grants beneficiaries with Sassa none-cash services such as PIN resets,” he said.
Co-ordinator for #PayTheGrants, Elizabeth Raiters said government should ensure that the process runs smoothly when it comes to paying vulnerable beneficiaries.
“I had a few people call this morning because they were panicked and weren’t aware of this, so I had to make some calls and try to get them some assistance.
“It is really sad, every month is the same story, between the SRD beneficiaries not getting their monthly grants and this, it’s becoming a lot.
“This has been going on since last October, there’s one problem after the other, it’s just not fair.
“They must do better and ensure that before the payment dates come, everything is sorted,” she said.
Last month, thousands of people struggled to receive their social grants due to a technical glitch.
This sparked outrage, with the DA lodging a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission.
On Tuesday, DA shadow minister of Social Development, Bridgett Masango called on minister Lindiwe Zulu to resign.
“Sassa beneficiaries are never guaranteed that their funds would have been deposited on time and in full.
“People already living in poverty are forced to waste vital funds on transport to pay points, only to return home empty handed,” she said.
Cape Times