SASSA closes Khayelitsha office, leaving hundreds stranded

14 July 2022

I will personally be visiting SASSA’s office in Khayelitsha after it was closed without notice this morning. This has left hundreds of residents stranded who rely on these offices for social services.

The building out of which SASSA operates in Khayelitsha is currently undergoing renovations. However, the Western Cape Department of Social Development, which operates from the same building, has made contingency plans to continue serving Khayelitsha residents through home visits during this period. This raises the question of why SASSA has not done the same.

This closure represents yet another in a long line of failures by SASSA in the area as for months SASSA clients have complained about long queues and waiting hours. It is an indictment on SASSA that the most vulnerable, especially those with disabilities and the elderly, had to make trips to the office today without any warning about the office’s closure.

At a time at which the rising cost of living has made the social security net more vital than ever, SASSA continues to drop the ball. SASSA must account for its failures, not only to government, but to the people it serves. I will be visiting the site to engage with SASSA clients, and will demand answers from the entity on behalf of the many stranded beneficiaries. We must ensure that the social security net is in safe hands, and that grant recipients are not left high and dry by incompetence and uncaring attitudes.

Issued by Dan Plato, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development, 14 July 2022