SASSA called to brief WC Parliament on grants debacle

20 September 2023

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape will be inviting Western Cape SASSA to the Standing Committee on Social Development for an urgent briefing to explain the current issues with the payment of social grants, in particular in the Western Cape, the problems with pay points, and the role of the Post Office in all of this.

This request for a briefing follows the revelations that despite a chorus of apologies by Minister Lindiwe Zulu for Postbank payment issues, the Department of Social Development apparently returned over R15 billion of social relief of distress (SRD) grants to the National Treasury in the past financial year.

This comes as thousands who applied for the R350 grant have not received it. The department said it could not locate SRD grant applicants through their phones, however no other alternative options were used to reach these applicants.

The large amount of money returned to the National Treasury highlights that the Department of Social Development has failed in its mandate to help poor and vulnerable South Africans. They have been severely impacted by the gross incompetence of the ANC government as many depend entirely on these grants to survive.

The DA in the Western Cape will also be writing to the Provincial Minister of Social Development, Sharna Fernandez, to seek an update on what this latest grant debacle means for Western Cape SRD grant applicants. While we are tirelessly trying to improve and better the social and economic conditions of our residents, our efforts continue to be hindered by these kinds of problems, caused by National Government failures.

Issued by Dan Plato, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development, 20 September 2023