Social distancing still an issue at Sassa grant pay points: Bheki Cele

Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Inanda in eMtshebheni on Monday. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency (ANA)

Police Minister Bheki Cele visited Inanda in eMtshebheni on Monday. Picture: Doctor Ngcobo/African News Agency (ANA)

Published Mar 30, 2020

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Durban - While KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala says he is satisfied with provincial compliance levels in terms of Covid-19 shutdown regulations, police minister Bheki Cele says he is not happy.

On the first day of the early payments of grants on Monday, Cele visited several pensions pay points in Durban and Newcastle to ensure compliance with the strict rules. 

At one pay point at Bridge City mall in the north of Durban, Cele voiced his disappointment that social distancing and availability of protective gloves and masks were still a challenge.

“When you look at the people outside there, you don’t get any pleasure in terms of social distancing. But one must say that when you look at people inside when they come to collect their grants, I think the management here they are doing their best. Even here, in this queue they are spacing them using the trolleys. If you go inside there are marks that they have done,” Cele said about the pay point.

He further said when they asked the management of the supermarket about the gloves and masks, they attributed their failure to provide them to the shortage of equipment in the market since there is panic buying of the critical goods. Cele also complained about long queues and said that forces elderly grants recipients to wait for a long time to get their payments.

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