“We are failing them” SASSA staff tell minister

A South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) worker expressed frustration during a visit by Minister of Social Development Dina Pule, stating that the struggle within the agency is making clients suffer. Pule, who recently assumed the ministerial role, met with CEO Themba Matlou and regional managers at the Bellville office in Cape Town.

There are approximately 19 million South Africans receiving grants, not counting the R370-a-month social relief of distress (SRD) grant, with the number possibly rising due to new applications. National Treasury implemented stricter conditions for SASSA's budget last year to ensure grants go to eligible beneficiaries only. A biometric verification system, piloted at the Bellville office, the worker noted, is slow and negatively impacts both clients and service provision.

Kenneth Claassen, a long-serving SASSA employee, lamented about the lack of appropriate tools and insufficient manpower, saying, "We are failing them." Charlene Meyer was there to assist her 90-year-old relative, who had trouble obtaining fingerprints at both the Department of Home Affairs and her bank. Priscilla Majavie, a stroke victim, had been waiting for a disability grant application for a year, only to be given new dates every time she visited.

Despite some positive feedback from pensioner Charmaine Marcus, who appreciated the staff's efforts, Pule emphasized the urgent need for more staff and the frustration of workers under duress. Pule also visited the Khayelitsha office, where she expressed concern about lifts not functioning, making it difficult for people with disabilities to access services.