DA calls for SASSA to extend office hours and fully capacitate their offices to assist desperate South Africans

24 May 2020

The Democratic Alliance (DA) calls on the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) CEO, Busisiwe Memela-Khambula, to extend SASSA office hours and fully capacitate their offices.

Over the past week, we have heard shocking accounts of people queueing outside SASSA offices for days at a time, without being seen, never mind helped. Vulnerable South Africans are spending nights on the streets outside SASSA offices in the hopes of receiving help for the dire situations at their homes. The majority are returning home without hope of means to support themselves or their families.

Clearly, the limited numbers of SASSA staff cannot cope with the magnitude of people needing help in the limited hours per day they are on duty which severely impairs SASSA’s ability to provide basic frontline services to the public. SASSA must safely capacitate their offices, ensuring that social distancing is practised, as a matter of urgency.

SASSA has fully trained employees sitting at home, earning a full salary. It must, therefore, make a plan to help desperate South Africans.

The fact that only 10 people have received the special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant of R350 is another indication that the limited staff compliment and working hours is unfeasible.

Minister Zulu and CEO Memela-Khambula must honour their mandate and duty during this time of crisis, by fully opening SASSA offices, in accordance to Covid-19 protocols, in order to prevent an even worse humanitarian implosion.

Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, 24 May 2020