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Scores of elderly in the streets to collect social grants despite pandemic

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Thousands of elderly persons and people with disabilities were on the streets to collect their monthly social grants.

This even after the elderly were advised to stay home as they are susceptible to contract the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Dr Sello Motaung explains: ”It all boils down to the immune system. So elderly people, at least those who are over the ages of 65, don’t have a stronger immune system like younger people and they are more likely to have other conditions like hypertension, diabetes and so on so they are at risk of getting more aggressive infections should they be exposed to coronavirus.”

In the video below SABC News looks at beneficiaries in the Free State have not been paid their  social grants

SASSA has set aside Monday and Tuesday to pay grants to the most vulnerable section of our society. SABC News spoke with the 56-year-old Beauty Citha who is on a life support due to a lung problem but was out on the streets to get her grant.

”Sometimes I wish to die, I am not right, serious. They don’t want me to leave with their oxygen they say I am not supposed to leave with it and I asked what must I do because I am like someone with asthma who always has to carry her spray pump every time if I can’t leave with it what must I do?” asks Citha.

Good Samaritans

Seeing how vulnerable she is, some good Samaritans come to help her.

Isaac Kgoale from the Meadowlands Kasi First Aiders says: ”We are here to help our people with disabilities and elderly people we take them to queues so that they don’t stay here for long and again those with the chronic disease we come with their medication.’

It’s times like these where the government’s promise of building a caring society is tested.

Citha and many others like her are supposed to be home. But due to the lack of support, she has to expose herself to possible infection, which could be deadly for her instead of staying at home and starve to death of hunger.

In the video below SABC News looks at thousands of pensioners in KZN have not been paid their  social grants

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