SASSA recipients left hanging after Post Bank Board resigns en masse

14 September 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply concerned to learn that the Post Bank Board has resigned en masse, citing a “hostile and oppressive” work relationship with the Minister of Communications & Digital Technologies, Mondi Gungubele.

The DA had written previously to the Minister and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee, asking for accountability regarding the crisis surrounding the SA Post Office and the PostBank. This week, we learnt yet again of issues surrounding the delivery of SASSA grants to recipients. This inhumane treatment of SASSA recipients is simply unacceptable.

The Board’s resignation is devastating to Post Bank customers and SASSA recipients, especially as the Board, despite numerous efforts, tried to avoid this from happening. They sought to reach out to the Minister on numerous occasions for assistance and guidance with no avail.

Instead of addressing the issues, the Minister is now trying to save face with a media campaign. This strategy is directly out of the ANC playbook and is commonly implemented by failing Ministers. The DA demands that the Portfolio Committee on Communications & Digital Technologies call the Minister to appear and provide a detailed action plan on what will be done to address this crisis.

If the Minister has nothing to hide, he will appear before the committee and not hesitate to answer questions. If the Minister refuses to appear and answer the questions we will not hesitate to call for a committee investigation into the matter.

We will in the interim be submitting Parliamentary Questions to the Minister, to bring light to what is going on with the Post Bank.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, 14 September 2023