[ad_1]
Some welfare recipients in Pietermaritzburg slept in front of the Langalibalele post office on Monday night after a “glitch” in the system delayed their payments, GroundUp reported.
Others started queuing already at midnight. On Tuesday they were paid.
Elandskop’s Mzwakhe Dlamini said that he and several others had slept outside the post office because they had no money for transportation.
“Some of us slept outside the post office. Others who had no money for transportation were assisted by the street vendors. They loaned them money to go home.”
“The street vendors were helping their customers buy their products. I had no one and forced me to sleep outside with the others. Other beneficiaries started coming around 24:00. There was nothing we could do.”
Dlamini added on Tuesday that it received its money with the additional amount of R250 added.
“I’ll be able to buy groceries. I had nothing left to eat at home. I only survive on this grant.”
Sassa’s fault: Recipients of double payments will have to pay back – Lindiwe Zulu
He urged the government to make plans for recipients who received their grant at the post office.
“I don’t think older people like us are allowed to stand for long hours. There should be chairs and shelter that we can use if we feel tired,” Dlamini said.
READ | Technical problems, staff under pressure to blame for the double payment to some beneficiaries and the non-payment of 450,000 pensioners
GG’s Futhi Ngema at Snathing said he had arrived at approximately 02:00, after queuing on Monday for hours. He told GroundUp that he had been paid and was rushing to buy groceries because he had left his two grandchildren with their neighbors.
Mpakuza’s Zakhele Mngoma said he was accompanying his daughter who received a disability grant. The family of six depends on the grant.
“Today, you can see that something is happening. Yesterday was a disaster and this is a lesson for our government. People are now forced to camp the day before payday. It is not okay.”
“I couldn’t face the people I left home yesterday when I came back empty-handed. We had phuthu [dry pap] and sugar water. It was the only thing we could have for dinner, “said Mngoma.
In a statement, Sassa’s director of communication and marketing, Sandy Godlwana, said the payment system issue, which affected beneficiaries of old age and disability, had been resolved.
Godlwana said the funds were released to the beneficiaries’ accounts late Monday.
“Today, Sassa officials have been deployed to monitor various payment points in the region and have confirmed that payments are progressing smoothly.”
He added that Sassa had apologized to the beneficiaries for the inconvenience.
[ad_2]
