SASSA’s online registration bid must not follow previous routes of failure
15 September 2020
While the Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomes the South African Social Security Agency’s (SASSA) bid to diversify how people gain access to grants by taking its application process online, we call for the Department of Social Development (DSD) and SASSA to table a report before the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development following the trial period to ensure successful implementation of the system.
This new initiative of SASSA to create an online avenue for all types of grant applications must not fall into the same trap as the online application process for the Special Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 that left the Agency’s phone and email lines clogged with thousands of unanswered queries every day.
The fact that there were already reports of the applications site not working properly does not bode well for SASSA.
We can only hope that it has learnt from its past mistakes and seeks to protect and serve South Africa’s most vulnerable instead of leaving them in desperation. One of the lessons is the need for trained SASSA personnel to be available at all of its offices to assist those without means or knowledge to access the online platforms.