Johannesburg - Social grant recipients in parts of Soweto have been served with no delays to their payments.
Most recipients were happy to receive their payments on time, unlike last month when they were turned away on numerous occasions after the department of social services was affected by technical glitches that prevented them from accessing their funds.
Last month, scores of people were struggling to get their social grants from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Postbank.
Before the payments, which began in earnest on Tuesday, the department of social services and Sassa promised that beneficiaries would receive their payments with no hassles.
This promise came after a number of R350 beneficiaries could not access their grants on the specified payment dates for both November and December.
Sassa spokesperson Moabi Pitsi said the department experienced some technical glitches during the November and December period, which negatively affected the timely payment of beneficiaries.
“Those issues have been cleared, and thus we can confirm to our clients that from (Tuesday), other grants like the older persons grant, the disability grant and the child support grants will be paid from the 3rd up to the 5th.
“So those technical issues have been cleared, and we are ready to pay grants in the new year. From Sassa’s side, it’s all systems go, and we are ready to pay grants,” Pitsi said.
Pitsi said Sassa also urged all clients to make use of the multiple ways available to access their funds.
“The methods include the use of retailers and ATMs. Social grant clients with the Sassa Gold Card can continue using the same card as it remains valid to use at any place that accepts bank card transactions.
Thando Mulaudzi from Diepkloof Soweto told The Star outside Bara Mall that she was relieved that last month’s issues had been sorted out after spending more than a week trying to access her children’s grant money.
She said she was accompanying her grandmother to withdraw her funds before she did the same for her two children on Wednesday.
“I hope it is true that this technical issue that was said to have been the reason we struggled last month has been sorted out. I had to borrow money from loan sharks and friends in order to buy some of the essentials last month,” she said.
Outside Bara Mall, the queues were not that long, and most of the grannies lining up the queue were in good spirits as they took turns outside Shoprite being serviced by the efficient staff.
A granny who did not want to be named was told to wait for her turn at the semi-snaking line outside the mall entrance. She subsequently decided to use her card to buy essentials, adding that she would return at a later date to withdraw her funds.
“I was able to buy some of the most important grocery items inside Shoprite. I will return some other time to withdraw the rest of the funds,” she said.
The Star