Social Development Minister should intervene in SASSA Roodepoort disaster

15 November 2018

The Minister of Social Development Susan Shabangu should urgently intervene in the closure of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) Roodepoort office and explain its failure to assist social grant beneficiaries.

The Democratic Alliance is being inundated with complaints from SASSA beneficiaries in Roodepoort after the office has been closed for two days since Tuesday this week with no services being rendered.

These complaints come a month after the DA conducted an oversight visit to the SASSA Office in Roodepoort, where qualifying beneficiaries were turned away without their applications being captured and recorded.

SASSA cannot continue to make excuses for its ever-failing biometric systems, which are supposed to be used to capture beneficiaries' data.

The DA is concerned that the nationwide backlog in the capturing of data could reach disastrous levels by the end of this year.

This is a direct consequence of a failing national government led by the failing ANC.

Social grants are a critical source of income to millions of South Africans.

Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Gauteng Spokesperson: Social Care and Cohesion; Gauteng’s Forgotten Communities, 15 November 2018