Minister Lindiwe Zulu lambasted for failure to pay social grants

People must see President Cyril Ramaphosa’s ministers for who they are – uncaring incompetent individuals, Bongani Baloyi said on Wednesday after the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) revealed that about 70,000 social grants beneficiaries did not receive their January payments.

The beneficiaries have reportedly been frustrated since Friday last week as their cards declined payment when trying to withdraw from ATMs.

Baloyi said the repeated grants payment delays have caused significant hardships and serious consequences for thousands of people who cannot access necessities such as food.

“This situation has not only created a barrier to basic survival, but it has also put the lives of grant recipients at risk, especially those who depend on it to access medication,” he cautioned.

READ MORE: Social grants beneficiaries advised to use ATMs, supermarkets.

Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said on Tuesday that the glitch was due to the misinterpretation or not corresponding details, leading to the agency failing to verify the banking details of the beneficiaries.

Most of those who are affected had changed from the agency’s card to bank-issued cards.

“We are aware of non-payments, and this is a result of bank verifications, meaning that the details provided to us do not perfectly match or correspond to the ones registered in the bank. For example, you may find that a name has been misspelt, or a letter is missing,” Letsatsi explained.

However, the president of Xiluva recalled that last year the government also issued an apology for the delay in social grant payments to over 500,000 people attributing it to a glitch in the system.

“Minister Lindiwe Zulu and her team should have prioritized resolving these issues and implementing robust systems to avoid similar disruptions and ensure that social grants are delivered on time to those who need them.

“It is time for South Africans to demand better from their leaders and hold them accountable for their actions,” Baloyi added.

The government agency urged those who had not received their money to visit the nearest post office branch to get their January payment.