Johannesburg - After the disastrous Sassa payment failure, the DA says it is on a crusade to call for a debate of national importance.
DA spokesperson on social development, Bridget Masango, said the Postbank payment failure was the latest in a long line of failures to ensure grant recipients get their funds at the allotted times.
Masango said Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu’s attempt to solely lay the blame at the bank’s feet was disingenuous and ignored the countless months the elderly, young mothers, or disabled people had to queue in the wind and rain just to return home empty-handed.
Masango said her party would lodge a complaint with the SA Human Rights Commission’s Joburg office and request an investigation into Sassa’s continuous failures to pay social grant beneficiaries on time.
“The issue of late or non-payment of grants is a clear violation of citizens’ rights to life, equality, dignity, food and social security. The minister has failed time and time again, and it is time she accounts for her lack of action,” she said.
Last week, The Star spoke with Gogo Nthateng Modise from Katlehong, who said she did not bother to catch a taxi to a nearby Postbank simply because she did not have money.
“I am yet to understand why the government is not giving us our grants. With that money, I take care of my family and three grandchildren,” Modise said.
On Thursday, the departments of Communications and Digital Technologies and Social Development, in a joint statement, said last Tuesday and Wednesday, Postbank experienced intermittent system challenges at ATMs and retailers, leading to failed withdrawal attempts by some grant recipients for the old age and disabilities grants.
“The intermittent system challenges were a result of a system upgrade the bank is introducing to provide better service,” read the statement.
The statement further highlighted that originally this affected approximately 600 000 beneficiaries, which translated to around 10% of the 5.3 million beneficiaries who are paid their social grants via Postbank’s Sassa Gold Cards monthly.
“We would like to confirm to South Africa that the majority of these accounts have now been corrected and clients have been able to access their money. Postbank has completed more than 500 000 fund reversals to date, and the affected beneficiaries have gotten their social grant payments,” said the statement.
RISE Mzansi national co-ordinator, Esther Padi, said the government and Sassa should make an urgent assessment of the true state of the Postbank to ascertain if it can carry out the life-saving task so that alternative arrangements can be made.
“The country should not have to witness one more incident where grant recipients have to go home without money for food and other basic necessities,” she said.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile, on behalf of the president, apologised for the delayed payment of grants.
“We sincerely apologise. We will ensure that this does not happen again, and more importantly, we will ensure that grants are paid on time without fail,” he said.
The Star