G Klootwyk, Brooklyn
On Wednesday June 13, three friends and I went to Milnerton community hall to collect our pension monies, only to find hundreds of people queuing to collect new South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards.
At least three separate Sassa officials informed us they would return early the next morning (June 14) for new card collection.
We went back the following day, and we sat with a crowd of people and waited and waited and waited.
Someone eventually got through to Sassa and was informed that Sassa was not sending its crew.
All this time, people were arriving and, not seeing Sassa vehicles, they simply drove away.
What of the pensioners wasting their limited funds on endless bus fares? Sassa is a law unto itself and it couldn’t give a damn about those it professes to serve.
Shivani Wahab, spokesperson, Sassa Western Cape responds: On Wednesday June 13, Sassa can confirm that cash payments services were rendered at the Milnerton community hall. Sassa conducts cash payments, one day a month, at the said venue.
As part of the Sassa SA Post Office transitional phase, the Milnerton community hall has been identified for closure in respect of cash payments. However, the venue will continue to be utilised for the card-swap services until the end August. Sassa informed beneficiaries of these changes.
To mitigate the confusion created with our beneficiaries, Sassa officials returned to the site on Thursday June 14 to inform our clients that the pay point will no longer be utilised for cash payments but for card-swap services only.
Sassa is committed to ensuring that our beneficiaries are treated with dignity and respect.