Grant beneficiaries in Cape Town frustrated by SASSA card process

SASSA grants beneficiaries in Cape Town, who have been queuing for hours at a time, have expressed their frustration about the delays they’ve been experiencing in trying to change over their cards to the Postbank black cards.

Beneficiaries across South Africa have now been given a reprieve, after a deadline extension was announced for the migration of SASSA beneficiary cards.

Millions of beneficiaries have until the 20th of March to switch over to the new system.

The initial deadline was the end of February.

In some instances, residents had been queuing for days to change over to the new card.

“The elderly have to borrow money to come here now they have to go back because they were not helped at all, my suggestion is why don’t they bring it to the communities into the civic centres where they can be helped in their areas

“I’m here since three o’clock in the morning. my daughter brought me and we left the house 2;50am and then she left for work. I’m number 25, we are still sitting here.”

Meanwhile, the Chairperson of Public Interest SA, Tebogo Khaas says unless SASSA deals with the corruption within its systems it will never be able to address issues confronting social grant beneficiaries.

Khaas says the fact that the cards are being changed for the third time shows that the root problem lies beyond just the cards themselves.

“Also, what they are not saying to us what is so different with these new cards that will make them tamper proof or future proof to make sure that they cannot be copied, tampered with and they cannot be overtaken by technology as it evolves. And it just shows you actually, its admission that they’re failing to deal with the root of the problem. The root of the problem is the corruption in the system that enables individuals because it does not matter whether the card has got a chip or a barcode. If you don’t also deal with the people inside of those institutions within SASSA, within Home Affairs and anywhere else within the whole ecosystem, you are going still be visiting the same issues, confronting the same situation again and again.”