News24.com | ‘If we have to sleep here we will’ – scores of beneficiaries in Pietermaritzburg queue to renew grants
Beneficiaries have been sleeping outside the Sassa office in Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg hoping to get a place close to the front of the queue to renew their lapsed disability grants.
PHOTO: Nompendulo Ngubane/GroundUp
- Many, mostly elderly beneficiaries have been sleeping outside the gates
of the Sassa office in Raisethorpe, Pietermaritzburg to renew their lapsed
disability grants. - Others say they arrive before sunrise, but the line is already snaking
by then. - Sassa says the Raisethorpe office has staff shortages due to Covid-19.
Scores of social grant beneficiaries have been sleeping outside the
South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Raisethorpe,
Pietermaritzburg for nearly two weeks, hoping to get a place close to the front
of the queue, GroundUp reported.
Most of the people seen outside the office on Monday were elderly and
had blankets wrapped around them after spending the night outside.
At about 11:00, a group started complaining that despite their long
wait, they had still not been assisted because a restricted number of people
were being allowed into the facility at a time.
Ntombemhlophe Ndlovu from Howick said she slept with other beneficiaries
outside the offices on cardboard boxes on Sunday night.
The 58-year-old said she has stage four cancer, but despite being the
closest to the front of the queue, she was told officials would not assist her
because she did not have an ID.
She said:
I’m wearing a nappy and have a pipe that helps me when I have to relieve myself. I have to renew my grant after it lapsed in January. My ID got lost and I had hoped that when I came with a certified ID copy they would assist me. Now I have to borrow money so that I can get a temporary ID. In my condition, I don’t know if I will manage another queue at Home Affairs offices.
The Raisethorpe office services people from Woodlands, Northdale,
Allandale, Copesville, Swapo A and B and other surrounding areas.
‘No money for transport or food’
Hlengiwe Mkhize from Cinderella Park said she joined the queue at 05:30,
and by noon was hungry and tired.
Mkhize said:
By the time I arrived, the queue was already long. I’m here to renew my disability grant which lapsed in November. I’m diabetic and on medication. People that have been called inside take forever to come out. There’s still many of us who are waiting to just get a date to come back and see the doctor for the renewal of the grants.
Johannes Mthandazi from Swapo B said he was at the offices to enquire
about his grant money that he had not received for two months last year. He
said he arrived at the offices at 04:00.
Mthandazi said:
There are no chairs or toilets here and we are tired and hungry. Other people have gone home because it is clear that they won’t get help today. Some of us have to wait, if we have to sleep here we will do so. We have no money for transport or food. All we have to do is wait.
Sassa provincial spokesperson Sandy Godlwana said the department was
aware of the influx of beneficiaries to its offices. She said it was largely
due to staff shortages and strict Covid-19 restrictions.
Godlwana said only six people were on duty at Raisethorpe.
“The office is working on a schedule because some staff members are
sick. The department has also made announcements using different media
platforms to inform beneficiaries on dates of renewal for different grants.
Sassa has been affected by the pandemic, but we are trying to keep our offices
accessible to the people,” said Godlwana.
Did you know you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
