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| Image: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen |
Pensioners in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal have been experiencing difficulties with their pension payments due to cash delivery issues. Older people began arriving at post offices in Mthatha and Ngqeleni late on Monday night, with some arriving early on Tuesday morning. They were informed that pension payments would be delayed, and the pensioners demanded the government bring back mobile payment units as they risked their lives by sleeping outside post offices.
Under a previous South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) system, vehicles with cash withdrawal facilities travelled to rural areas to provide easy grant access. Postbank has since been handling distribution. However, pensioners who had slept outside post offices expressed anxiety about getting their money as they had hungry children at home. Their frustration quickly turned to anger when post office staff explained they were awaiting cash delivery.
Postbank spokesperson Dr Bongani Diako said that while their system was stable and working, there were sporadic problems with cash delivery to post offices. He stated that beneficiaries could access their money through other channels, such as ATMs and retailers. The payment of grants in October has improved, and the payment system performance has been stable.
Beneficiaries in areas with cash delivery delays were all paid, as they were redirected to other available payment points. One older woman queuing at Ngqeleni reported being outside the post office since 2 a.m. on Tuesday. She called for the government to revive the old system of payment where they could get their money in their villages.
The pensioners are desperate for the money as they have no food in their homes and are using their pensions to care for themselves and six others.
The Mthatha post office in South Africa has been experiencing significant delays and issues with paying pensions. Pensioners, including the Mthatha Nkomo, have reported being turned away due to a lack of money and network. Additionally, recipients of the Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF) grant have been unable to access their funds due to delays.
In KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town, Postbank has urged beneficiaries of Sassa grants to collect their money at ATMs and retailers like Pick n Pay or Spar from Tuesday rather than using post office branches. This is due to many post office branches reporting insufficient cash in store due to delivery delays. Beneficiaries were reminded that Sassa gold cards could be used for cash withdrawals from any ATM or at the till in retail stores.
Postbank stated that post office branches in the province would still be able to assist beneficiaries of social grants with non-cash Sassa services, such as PIN resets. Systems ran smoothly when Daily Maverick visited the Vlaeberg and Kenilworth post offices in Cape Town.
In Gauteng, many post office branches experienced long lines of pensioners waiting to collect their grants, but there were no payout issues. An elderly beneficiary said that while she had been waiting since the early morning, the line was slowly moving, and she didn't expect any problems.
Beneficiaries at the Randburg post office reported receiving their money for this month and what they were owed from the previous month. However, there are still isolated incidents related to the payment of grant money in the province. Leandra Salvarto, based in Benoni, reported her mother-in-law had not received her grant for the second month running, and she eventually received her September grant two days late, with a deficit and no explanation for why.
The delays have caused concern among pensioners and social grant recipients, who are often exposed to criminals and face financial difficulties.
