Ministers pay surprise visit to SASSA
The unannounced visit follows reports of slow service delivery, long queues and mistreatment from the staff.
PEOPLE queuing at the Pinetown SASSA offices have asked for a better system to be used when the Social Development Minister, Lindiwe Zulu and social development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza paid a surprise visit to the centre on Thursday.
The unannounced visit follows reports of slow service delivery, long queues and mistreatment from the staff.
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A Hillcrest resident, Ian Lesch, said he does not mind waiting in the line, but waiting for hours just to get a letter is unacceptable. “I came here early in the morning with my son who has epilepsy but have been moved from one line to another.
“The line I am in now, only eight people have moved, there are sick people here, small children and old people who have been sitting here for hours,” said Lesch.
Another resident, Ethel, said she hopes the ministers will actually do something about the working conditions at that centre.
“All the government places have issues, I really hope they are not just showing off by this visit and they will actually implement a system that actually works,” she said.
Among the many issues discovered at the centre was the system that goes on and off.
The Pinetown SASSA manager, Dennis Hlengwa, explained to the MECs that they are servicing a very large area and it would help if they could open other offices in the Mariannhill area and Upper Highway area.
“This office services the whole Highway area. There is a SASSA office in Clermont but there are people who still prefer to come to Pinetown. If people can come at the date when they are supposed to that will make our job much easier as there won’t be any long lines,” he said.
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