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A Pietermaritzburg woman’s phone is full of social grant inquiries after her number was wrongly advertised as the Sassa Covid-19 Grant Helpline.
Nonjabulo Ngcobo, stressed, said over the weekend that he found out that his cell phone number had been published multiple times and that it was announced by a national radio station as the R350 social assistance grant hotline of the Social Security Agency of the SA (Sassa).
READ | Sassa to Launch New Covid-19 Aid Grant Application Process
Ngcobo, a lawyer, said since Friday that hundreds of WhatsApp messages are clogging his phone, which is ringing non-stop. According to Sassa’s Facebook page, the correct WhatsApp number for all inquiries related to social relief is 082 046 8553.
“The first calls came all at once on Friday. I asked where they got my number from and they said from a national radio station based in the Eastern Cape, ”Ngcobo said.
‘One digit is different’
He called the radio station to ask why they were giving their listeners their contact number. “I had not seen Sassa’s number then. The radio station gave me Sassa’s number and it is similar to mine. There is only one digit that is different, and people are not reading correctly,” said Ngcobo.
On Sunday, she said she began receiving calls from across the country, and that most callers wanted to know how they can register for the aid grant.
“Others send me voice memos and personal information. A man from Jo’burg ended up cursing me when I told him I had the wrong number.
“I try to be nice because I understand that people need money and are desperate. Even when I say they have the wrong number, others still won’t see the difference in the numbers. It’s frustrating. I don’t know anything about Sassa. “
Ngcobo said that it has now resorted to blocking all unknown incoming calls.
Buzz
“My phone is ringing every minute. I have a baby to take care of and this is driving me crazy. I can’t even take care of my baby. “
READ | Sassa fails leads to defaults
She said other callers told her that the number appears on pamphlets and posters that were delivered in their respective areas.
“I think someone is giving people the wrong information. The one I saw on television is correct and I don’t know how this is happening. This is too much, “said Ngcobo.
Applications
Although he had thought about changing his cell phone, he said he cannot because he uses it for work purposes. “I have had this number for 10 years and I am using it for many things, I cannot change it,” he said.
On Monday, Sassa said he was ready to receive applications for the R350 Relief Social Relief Grant announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Sassa Chief Executive Busisiwe Memela Khambula said unemployed people interested in applying for the Covid-19 social aid grant will only qualify if they do not receive other government-provided social grants. Khambula said that when the Sassa pilot project for the social aid grant was launched two weeks ago, of the 100,000 applications received, 50% were from people who have already received some form of government assistance.
A total of 57,000 applicants were successful in the pilot phase. All Sassa offices opened as of Monday.
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