The Democratic Alliance inspects SASSA offices this week in a bid to understand long queues and general complaints about the agency. The opposition party conducted oversight of SASSA offices all around South Africa and reiterated its commitment to improving social welfare should it come to power.
As reported by The Citizen, DA shadow minister for social development Bridget Masango remains committed to social welfare in Mzansi. And the party will definitely not cancel South African Social Security Agency grants if elected after the 29 May General Elections. Despite what the ANC claims.
DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE INSPECTS SASSA OFFICES
The South African has reported before that the DA is looking forward to social welfare reform in the country. In line with this, Masango carried out oversight inspections of SASSA offices in Gauteng. At the same time, more DA officials conducted similar inspections in other provinces.
“The Democratic Alliance inspects SASSA offices because grants are enshrined in the constitution. We will not take them away because they are part of an important social-development policy for the DA,” said Masango.
MOST COMMON PROBLEMS ARE …
Hoping to chat to different people in various SASSA queues, Masango was able to identify some common issues for grant recipients. Unsurprisingly, the common complaint was over Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants not being paid to recipients even when they’re loaded on the system. The SRD R370 grant is the most widely disbursed – to roughly 8-million people – and therefore receives the most complaints, explained Masango.
“Everyone is here in the offices to complain about their grants,” said the shadow minister, who also touched on the issue of fraud. “There seems to be something done by the staff where they change beneficiaries’ ID/phone numbers. By doing this the grant comes to them and not the rightful recipient. It’s a messy grant,” said Masango. In response to her questions on fraud, the agency merely said, ‘the system is robust and can counter fraud.’
SASSA GRANTS OF THE FUTURE
The Democratic Alliance inspects SASSA offices because it believes the ANC is deploying cadres. Which is why it endeavours to reform the agency in the following ways:
- Audit social grant beneficiary lists so only the qualified receive money.
- Increase the SASSA Child Support grant to the food poverty line (currently R530) to R760.
- Provide SASSA Child Support grants to expectant mothers for the nutrition of unborn babies.
- Extend the SASSA Child Support grant to beneficiaries until they obtain a National Senior Certificate.
- Simplify SASSA social-grant applications for the disabled and elderly.
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