Cape Town - A Sassa employee in Khayelitsha has alleged hostility among provincial management staff is what led to residents being in the dark over the grant office’s recent closure.
The disability and old age grant is expected to be collected on Monday and Tuesday, but there are fears that many beneficiaries will still visit the branch not knowing it has been closed for renovations.
Residents have been turned back from the office since last Thursday, due to no timeous communication about the renovations.
Sassa has been “squatting” in the Department of Social Development’s (DSD) office for more than a decade.
According to a staff member who asked not to be named, there was still no direction about an alternative facility they could operate from or what will happen to them as staffers.
“We were made aware of a possible closure a few days ago and the acting manager couldn’t provide answers about where we will work or if clients were informed.
“She claimed to have recently found out about the renovations. The problem is that they don’t have a good relationship among themselves there at the top which has led to a lack of communication.
“This is now not only affecting staff but hundreds of thousands of clients from Khayelitsha.
“Residents were not lying when they said the notice was only erected late on Thursday morning,” she said.
Another worker claimed that they were informed that as an alternative, a tent might be set up somewhere in the area for services to operate out of.
“Not only is the tent unsafe for the staff but it’s winter and clients will get cold.
“When the Wynberg Sassa (office) was displaced, management in the province found a solution of mobile park homes, so why must Khayelitsha people be subjected to tents?
“Management’s treatment has really shown what they think about this area.
“On Monday we will go and sit there outside the offices until we get directions. We saw in the media that the department advised people to visit other branches like Mitchells Plain but these other branches are already overwhelmed.
“This is really sad and frustrating,” he said.
Sassa didn’t respond to the Cape Times by deadline.
Last week the agency said an outreach programme would be implemented.
It also said that it was waiting for a response from the City regarding an application for offices located at Kuyasa Library and has been working towards identifying suitable alternative accommodation to enable services.
SACP Western Cape secretary Benson Ngqentsu advised that the Khayelitsha Thusong Centre could be temporarily used for services.
“That building must be utilised now to serve our people. There is no doubt in my mind that the provincial government is insensitive to the economic position of our people in this sad period of rising fuel prices which has affected the rise in public transport fares,” said Ngqentsu.
GOOD councillor Philiswa Marman urged Sassa to treat Khayelitsha residents with dignity and respect by providing the much-needed services in the area.
Cape Times