Durban - A Phoenix woman claims that people collecting Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grants at post offices are paying people to reserve places in queues.
Individuals who are unemployed and do not receive any other form of social grant or UIF payment receive a R350 grant that they collect from the South African Post Office (Sapo).
Lavena Dulandas said that when the grants were offered, the Phoenix Post Office issued recipients a card with a number on it. If you were unable to collect your grant on that day you could return the next day and be at the front of the queue.
She said that since they stopped this process last month, the queues had been getting longer and a syndicate was collecting R50 to reserve places.
Dulandas and her husband are both unemployed.
On Friday, they slept outside the post office so they could get their grant on Saturday. She said many people slept outside thepost office entrance.
Some awoke in the morning and sold their places.
“It has become a business. There were 12 people in front of me, but during the day the number increased.
A system should be put in place. We are exposed to criminals at night.”
Yesterday, while the Daily News was outside the Phoenix Post Office a fight broke out at the front of the queue, which snaked around the corner.
Several people accused a man of letting people join the queue in front them. The man was pushed about and slapped.
Fana Mkhize of Bhambayi said the queues were long at every post office.
He said that last month even though he arrived early, it took him two days to collect his grant.
Sapo spokesperson Johan Kruger said they had erected notices warning people against these practices, and also involved the SAPS to prevent the intimidation of the public and the selling of places in the queue.
“Unfortunately, the Post Office does not have jurisdiction over the public’s behaviour in areas outside its premises,” Kruger said.
Sapo stated that 5 million beneficiaries were paid out each month for the Covid-19 relief grant. For October, almost 430 000 had been paid and up to Saturday, November 27, 425 000.
This was over and above the regular transactions at Sapo.
Kruger said that South Africans who applied for the grant received two text messages from Sassa. The first when their grant was approved, and the second when their money was ready for collection.
“We have found that large numbers of beneficiaries go to post offices to find out the status of their grant.
They are encouraged to visit the post office only once they have received the second text message,” he said.
Report unscrupulous behaviour to Sapo at 0800 020 0070.
The Daily News