SASSA has called for calm and patience from social grant applicants

SASSA has pleaded with applicants to refrain from gathering in numbers at pay points.

July 23, 2020

Newcastle Advertiser 1 minute read

Crowds of people gathered at Amajuba Mall in hopes of collecting the R350 social grant payout from the Post Office earlier this week.

Earlier this week, residents gathered in masses at the Newcastle Bus and Taxi Rank and the Amajuba Mall branch of the South African Post Office, to collect their R350 social grant payouts.

Sources have commented that no proper social distancing was followed and some in the queues did not have masks. In response, SASSA Newcastle’s Senior Head of Communications, Sandy Godlwana has pleaded with the public to be patient.

“We understand very well the challenges you are facing at home. People need food and other necessities during this hard time of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, we ask that people do not flock to post offices in numbers, because that is also breaking the current regulations of social distancing and this ends up with the police getting involved.”

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Godlwana has also emphasised applicants must wait for the confirmation SMS before going to collect their money.

“We have had delays because this process takes times between UIF, SASSA and Home Affairs,” admitted Godlwana. “People must try to understand and they will be back paid from when they applied until October, as national minister Lindiwe Zulu stated. From October, we will then await further instruction.”

The video below contains footage of the crowds gathered at the Newcastle Bus and Taxi Rank: