The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has assured its cardholders that they will continue to receive benefits despite the December expiry date on their cards.
“We continue to receive queries about the expiry date of (our) payment cards and implications thereof from beneficiaries of social grants.
The expiry date reflected on the current SASSA card is December 2017 and we wish to put it on record that no beneficiary of social grants will be affected by it,” said the agency in a statement on Tuesday.
“(We are) in a planning phase regarding the future payment of social grants once the contract with the current service provider CPS (cash paymaster services) comes to an end in March 2018.”
They said as soon as final plans were in place, beneficiaries would be informed about the updating process later on in the year.
“(We) remain committed to providing uninterrupted service to beneficiaries of social grants in moving South Africa forward.”
They warned social grant recipients not to heed the call by anyone to change their cards.
“The card bearing the colours of the South African flag remains the official card and cannot be changed for any other card.
Beneficiaries are made aware of hoax information being circulated, which requires them to disclose their personal and card details.”
The agency said it did not sell financial products such as loans and discouraged beneficiaries from using their cards to acquire such services.
The agency also confirmed on Tuesday that Sibusiso Nhlangothi had been appointed as KwaZulu-Natal acting regional executive manager with effect from August 1, 2017. “Nhlangothi before his appointment was working as a general manager for payment management unit at SASSA head office.”
This, they said, followed the appointment of the current regional executive manager Pearl Bengu by the minister of social development Bathabile Dlamini as SASSA interim chief executive.
Beneficiaries are encouraged to contact SASSA on their customer care line 0800 601 011 with any queries.