Cape Town - Khayelitsha residents and community structures have called for heads to roll at the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) Western Cape’s top management over carelessness following its failure to make alternative arrangements for operations after knowing three months in advance that their office will close for renovations.
A number of elderly and vulnerable grant recipients braved the cold, wet weather on Thursday in the hope of being assisted only to be met with a notice that the office has been closed.
What angered residents was that officials failed to inform them timeously. They will now have to travel to Mitchells Plain and as far as Cape Town for assistance.
“We have been told that the office was closed on Tuesday already but an official notice was placed at the gate this morning (Thursday).
“When we arrived earlier, there was no notice and even the phone numbers they issued on the papers are not going through.
“I stay in Site B but I borrowed money to come here because even on Tuesday, we called to no avail.
“No other form of communication was used, so many more people will still waste their time and money and come here.
“This is utterly nonsense. Serious interventions are needed here because their service has always been poor,” said Nomvuyiso Majeke.
Sassa has been “squatting” in the Department of Social Development’s (DSD) office for more than a decade, with more than 100 workers sharing a small space.
The Cape Times reported last year about the shocking scenes of the elderly and vulnerable sleeping in the cold outside the Sassa office after the agency yet again failed to secure an additional collection facility.
It also reported Sassa’s claims that an agreement was reached with a new local fitment centre facility and the facility was going to be expanded.
However, Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) chairperson Ndithini Tyhido revealed that never happened.
“The Western Cape’s management is useless and inept. People must be held accountable and fired for this treatment because they knew that the only Sassa Khayelitsha office will undergo renovations for the next 12 months.
“They had more than enough time to make alternative arrangements.
“This management is willing to pay much higher rent for big office spaces in the leafy suburbs and unwilling to do the same for Khayelitsha, maybe it’s because the area is for black people,” he said.
Provincial Sassa spokesperson Shivani Wahab said since March, Sassa has been working towards identifying suitable alternative accommodation to enable services in Khayelitsha to continue.
“To date, Sassa has also contacted the Sub Council 10 to assist with the identification of alternative accommodation. The last arranged engagement with the management of VPUU (Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrading) was on June 14.
“Sassa has further submitted the necessary documents for the application for sub-council 26 offices located at Kuyasa Library and is currently awaiting feedback. Sassa has, in addition to this, signed a lease agreement for a site in Khayelitsha known as Bikitsha,” said Wahab.
She said two procurement instructions with the National Department of Public Works were in process of completion.
“One has been issued for a new office to be constructed while the other is awaiting re-advertisement for accommodation on Khayelitsha. An Outreach Programme , will be further implemented by the Sassa Khayelitsha office, to ensure the bridging of any service delivery gaps, due to the renovation at the current site.
“Sassa Western Cape will meet with Khayelitsha stakeholders to ensure that they are updated on the latest developments in respect of business continuity.”
Cape Times