Lentswe, Klerksdorp - The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has urged SASSA to extend the February 28 deadline for gold card replacements, warning that failure to do so could disrupt payments for vulnerable beneficiaries, especially in rural areas.
Lentswe received several complaints from people queuing at the Shoprite at the Klerksdorp Terminus and at Tower Mall. Out of the list of sites SASSA provided where beneficiaries can exchange their cards, it seems that only these two sites are operational. Especially white people told Lentswe they are afraid to go to the taxi terminus because of crime. Lentswe saw people queuing for hours in the harsh sunlight.
Only last week, SASSA and Postbank announced an urgent call to social grant beneficiaries to replace their gold cards with the Postbank black cards. From March 1, beneficiaries will be unable to access their SASSA grant payments with their gold cards.
SASSA and Postbank further advised people to go to their “nearest Postbank site, which is mainly located at one of the retailers near you that include Checkers, Shoprite, Pick n Pay, Usave and Boxer.” It seems not in Klerksdorp.
Lentswe also tried the different contact details provided in the SASSA and Postbank media statement. The Postbank number is not functional as the call was dropped, and the SASSA number redirects one to reach out via Whatsapp. On Whatsapp, there is no option to enquire about the card migration process. When following the *120*218*3# prompts, it gave a list of the sites where you can get your black cards. This irks beneficiaries, because they feel it is not accessible to everyone. “In the whole Kosh community, exchanges can only be done at Shoprite Tower Mall and Shoprite Terminus. What about people living in Kanana, Orkney and Stilfontein?’’
Lentswe learned that SASSA clients from Potch even travel to Klerksdorp to get their cards here. Enquiring at the local SASSA office, there are queues of beneficiaries wanting their grants to be paid directly in their bank accounts and skip the SASSA card, but this also takes time.
Many SASSA clients, especially the elderly residents or those living in abject poverty, prefer using their SASSA cards because they don’t have bank accounts.
“These individuals cannot be ignored. SASSA, Postbank, and the National Department of Social Development must find an urgent solution to ensure grant beneficiaries living in rural areas are also accommodated in the card transitioning process.
More service points must be established – and until that happens, the deadline for the expiration of SASSA Gold Cards should be extended,’’ the MEC for Social Development in the Western Cape, Jaco Londt, said.
