Johanna Adams (80) was mistakenly declared dead by Home Affairs and hasn't received her Sassa grant for almost two years. Photo: Department of Social Development
POLOKWANE – After media reports of a senior citizen who has not received her older persons grant for two years because she was wrongfully declared dead, the MEC for Social Development, Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana, urgently sent a task team from the Department and SASSA to investigate and intervene.
Johanna Adams (middle) with some of the parcels she received from the Department of Social Development. Photo: Department of Social Development
According to the spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, Kanakana Mantshimuli, Johanna Adams (80) was mistakenly declared dead by Home Affairs as it is believed she was sharing her ID number with another citizen.
While the task team is dealing with the matter, together with the Department of Home Affairs, Johanna will be receiving food parcels and other assistance in the meantime.
Mantshimuli says SASSA has confirmed that she will temporarily receive the grant from September 2018, until her new ID is ready and she can give it to SASSA for processing.
Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years’ experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review’s digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon." – Tom Stoppard
