Social grant beneficiaries in Reivilo, near Taung in the North West, have raised concerns about having to travel over 60 km to Taung to access the services of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).
The local Sassa offices have been closed and many beneficiaries depend on one ATM and the local post office, to make withdrawals.
However, some days both the ATM and the Post Office have no money and beneficiaries are caught between going to bed hungry or borrowing money to travel over 60 km to Taung to access a working ATM.
“We really struggle here. We have no money for transport to go to Taung. And when you buy things like groceries you also have to pay transport for them,” says one beneficiary.
“I don’t have money for transport. If I did I would go to Taung. So now my children will go to bed hungry,” adds another beneficiary.
Young unemployed mothers are the ones who suffer the most. 41-year-old Sinah van Wyk says she has struggled to register her children as grant beneficiaries due to the distance.
“When I had to go register my children I was turned back more than three times because we don’t have offices here and we were forced to travel to Taung. We leave here with no money. Sometimes there’s money and sometimes there isn’t. But it seems whenever its time for Sassa payouts, the machine doesn’t work so often we get our money in Taung.”
Sassa in the province says its outreach programs in the area had to be suspended with the spread of COVID-19.
“The agency suspended all outreach services in order to ensure the safety of both community members as well as the staff. Clients are advised to utilise the Sassa online portal to make applications as an alternative to going to the office. Beneficiaries in the area receive their social grants through SAPO that has been able to pay about 180 to 200 clients in a month“, says provincial Sassa Spokesperson, Nthabiseng Mosieleng.
