Lack of Sassa offices in Randburg makes life hard for recipients
The community, which has been going to neighbouring areas to get help with their social grants, have had enough, and demand that a mobile unit be placed to assist residents.
Over the past years, residents of Randburg have been travelling to Roodepoort or Midrand to get assistance for applications and accounts regarding for the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).
This is because Sassa does not have a branch of their own in Randburg, and this forces anyone who is a beneficiary to travel a long distance in order to get the assistance that they need. Given that the grant money is not enough to have residents travelling to other areas to get help, spending the little that they have on transport, is not wise at all.
Recently the councillor of Ward 104, Emi Koekemoer, and Member of Parliament and chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development Bridget Masango, met up to discuss the issue of not having a Sassa branch in Randburg, and saw that it is unfair for the elderly, as well as those disabled, to travel such a long distance just to get help.
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They resorted to a petition as a way to gain power over Sassa, and, hopefully, convince them to provide a mobile Sassa unit to help the community. “So far we have gained momentum, and we can see that everything is going accordingly. By bringing a mobile unit, services will be closer to our people, reducing the burden of having to stand in long queues, especially for the elderly and disabled. This will increase service delivery in our community. We owe it to the most vulnerable in our community,” said Koekemoer.
Masango said: “We have portfolio committee meetings every Wednesday, with the department and its entities, to hold them accountable about the challenges faced by communities. They present to us progress they have made, and plans they have to turn the situation around. The other challenge they have mentioned is budget cuts, which don’t allow them to fulfil all the undertakings they have made.”
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Masango also mentioned that they, as a committee, encourage communities to make petitions to hold the department and entities accountable, because the law allows that parliament must receive petitions from members of the public about the challenges they face.
Sassa noted that they acknowledge these challenges and are open to engaging with local stakeholders to explore potential solutions and bring Sassa services closer to the community of Randburg in a more economical and cost-effective manner.
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According to Sassa, they face significant staffing shortages and budget limitations, which restrict its ability to open new offices or expand existing ones. Sassa spokesperson Sesame Kgabi said: “There are no immediate plans to establish a full Sassa office in Randburg. However, Sassa has introduced an online application system, which enables the beneficiaries to apply for grants from their comfort zone, without spending money and time travelling to the offices. The service is more economical for both beneficiaries and Sassa.”
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