SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries in Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats are up in arms over what they say is poor service delivery regarding the new card swap process.
Angry residents on Sunday staged a protest and prevented SASSA officials from leaving their workplace.
They have complained of long queues and poor service delivery.
Earlier, a Sassa official told the crowd that officials wouldn’t be processing people who’d come to register their fingerprints so that their new Sassa cards can be activated.
Some say they’ve been queuing outside since four o’clock Sunday morning.
One beneficiary Nashiefa Solomns says, “I’m walking the whole month already for finger prints with elderly people. Every time we come here 3 o’clock, 5 o’clock every morning. At 11 o clock they are telling people they are not going to help so many people because it’s too many people. People stand until 4 o clock yesterday (Saturday) and turned back we all here again today since this month walking up and down.”
The beneficiaries with new post office cards say they were told to come back to be fingerprinted so their cards can be activated.
They fear they won’t be paid next month if their cards are not activated. Resident Cynthia Mnyani says their experience is heart-breaking.
“Some people were standing here from 4 o’clock, the officials only came at half past 10 it was only one person doing finger prints, and they tell us they closing one o’clock. If they are not finished with the finger prints people won’t get their money.”
Meanwhile, Sassa says the long queues are due to a last minute rush by grant recipients to get new cards.
A spokesperson says their offices are open on weekends to assist the post office with the card swap process. He says their closing time on Sunday is one o’clock.
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