Elderly residents Mamelodi targeted by pension payout day robbers now live in fear.
The pensioners said that pay points and long queues were the main weaknesses in the system, leaving them vulnerable to thugs.
Senior citizens raised these issues during their monthly meeting at the Roman Catholic Church in Mamelodi West on Wednesday.
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Pensioners’ forum chairperson Simon Sebothoma said the meetings were to discuss social issues that older persons came across in their daily lives.
“As elderly people we are becoming targets for criminals, especially at month-end.
“The forum gives the senior citizens a platform to speak about their daily challenges and come up with solutions.”
Sebothoma said there was concern about the fact that paydays were a “nightmare” and wished “something can be done as soon as possible”.
Pensioners called on the South Africa social security agency to send a representative to listen to their grievances, especially the long queues caused because there only being one teller assisting them.
“On our paydays we spend almost the whole day at the pay points. We are old and often tired. We plead with the government to hear us,” said gogo Florah Maserumule.
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Sebothoma said when pensioners went to make purchases after being paid, a group of young boys was on hand to “help” whereas their actual motive was to rob them.
Resident social worker Agnes Chauke promised to make arrangement with Sassa to send a representative.
Mamelodi police spokesperson Sergeant Mabel Sibanda said no reports had been made to police about robberies affecting the elderly.
She said there were allegations of some taxi operators Mamelodi “terrorising elderly people and community using their vehicles”.
Recently, two men and a woman suspects were arrested by the police.
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“The last person who was robbed by the suspects managed to identify them and they were arrested,” she said.
She advised the public to work with the police and report any suspicious looking person to the police by dialling 08600-10111.
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