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Fewer people in queues at Bellville Sassa offices following interventions

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Interventions implemented at the Sassa Offices in Bellville, Western Cape, appear to have offered grant applicants a temporary reprieve from sleeping outside their offices for help.

SABC reports that fewer people were in the queues on Wednesday after the chaos last week when police used a water cannon on the crowds to ensure social distancing.

Sassa in the Western Cape says it has recruited additional medical staff to assist with expediting assessments for temporary disability grants.

The Belville offices of Sassa was much a calmer scene compared to last week. Amongst the changes, there will be more medical staff as well as plans to open up new venues for grants in the City of Cape Town.

The action of the police in using force on the elderly and the disabled were condemned by many.

Sassa says it is prepared to make the changes as soon as possible to help applicants and to ensure there’s no repeat of last week’s chaos.

“Sassa met with the Human Rights Commission yesterday. The Sassa 10 point plan to enhance service delivery for lapsed disability grants was discussed. Sassa has recruited additional doctors to assist with medical assessments for disability grant applications. We have also concluded an agreement with the City of Cape Town for additional venues that will be used to fast-track disability grant applications,” says Sassa Western Cape Spokesperson, Shivani Wahab.

Western Cape Social Development MEC Sharna Fernandez met with the CEO of Sassa Totsie Memela Khambula last week:

The South African Human Rights Commission says it is deeply disappointed with what happened.

“We condemn it with all the words we can muster to say that is not right and we hope those responsible will be held accountable. We met with the Sassa leadership and they have put together a 10 point plan, which will improve the queue management and secondly, they also have signed an MOU with the City of Cape Town. The city will release at least seven venues that they can use,” says Provincial Commissioner Chris Nissen.

In the meantime, applicants continue to flock to the Belville office in the hopes of being assisted.

Some of them have had to ensure long hours in queues, while others have had to resort to sleeping outside the offices in the hopes of finalising their grants and avoiding the queues.

Sassa applicants, Shirley De Bruin and Ishreen Pretorius, say the office has a long way to go.

“I have been coming here for the last four weeks. What I have seen here yesterday was very traumatic. There was like no system. Everytime I come here they say the money is not yet approved,” says De Bruin.

Pretorius says, “And I’m here today to sign off for the money to be paid into my bank account. It just shows you the incompetence – not all of them, but some of them.”

Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, says he has also asked for an investigation into the police action at the office last week.

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