Image of a person holding a SASSA beneficiary SA Post Office |
Social grant distribution for the month of March began last week and will continue until Monday, March 6. Millions of people who rely on social handouts were harmed by a significant problem that prevented them from receiving their grant installments.
Several recipients were unable to receive their Older People Grant because their Sassa cards were empty. Several Sassa retirees were anxious about how they would manage without their handouts.
In February 2023, the Daily Maverick reported that another crisis is emerging in the administration and disbursement of social assistance. Thousands of social grant recipients around the country are unable to get their funds, with some not being paid at all.
The problem has been persisting since the beginning of November 2022, when Postbank, a state-owned financial organization located inside the South African Post Office (Sapo), took over the administration of social assistance. Postbank's history, as well as the poor experiences of grant recipients since the decision was made, raise severe concerns about the covert procedure that led to Postbank being given this role.
Criticism over the government's incapacity to pay social payments, notably the Child Support Grant, Old Age Pension, and Disability Grants, have thrown the Democratic Alliance (DA) into disarray. The ANC administration intends to eliminate the social relief of distress award on March 1, 2024, which might raise power usage.
As a consequence, the government has run out of money for grants, much like Eskom ran out of energy. The ANC administration is working on an emergency strategy to guarantee that social handouts continue to be financed by the DA, which is profoundly concerned about the ANC's plan to eliminate them.
Criticism over the government's incapacity to pay social payments, notably the Child Support Grant, Old Age Pension, and Disability Grants, have thrown the Democratic Alliance (DA) into disarray. The ANC administration intends to eliminate the social relief of distress award on March 1, 2024, which might raise power usage.
As a consequence, the government has run out of money for grants, much like Eskom ran out of energy. The ANC administration is working on an emergency strategy to guarantee that social handouts continue to be financed by the DA, which is profoundly concerned about the ANC's plan to eliminate them.
According to the DA party, the ANC administration has run out of money for grants due to corruption, necessitating an urgent warning that they must be voted out to preserve the country. A new administration based on the DA's financial management is required to ensure that social grants are protected for South Africans from all walks of life, including grant recipients and non-beneficiaries.
Nonetheless, recent reports by Career Portal states that Sassa has since responded, stating that this was due to a technical malfunction suffered by Postbank, but that the problem has been fixed.