Kwa-Dela Sassa beneficiaries must travel to Bethal or Ermelo to receive their grants
According to beneficiaries who reside in the township, the only possible solution to the problem is that the Department of Social Development or the post office provides a mobile ATM or any other device that would assist grant beneficiaries.
The South African Post Office has been contracted to take over social grants payments from Cash Paymaster Service (CPS) by the Department of Social Services.
This means funds will become available for collection at ATMs, post offices, selected retail stores and other payment channels such as Easy Pay.
All these developments bring headaches to beneficiaries of Kwadela in Davel as the Davel Sassa cash pay point will no longer be available.
Beneficiaries will now have to travel to either Ermelo or Bethal to receive their social grants, because Davel has no post office or an ATM.
Elderly beneficiaries and those living with disabilities who are not physically fit to stand in long queues or are familiar with ATMs and other technological devices that help them to get their payments, are now vulnerable to fraud, robbery and other criminal activities.
Another group that will be hit hard, are small community business people who are making a life out of selling their goods to beneficiaries because they will lose their target market which is their source of income.
The contract between Sassa and the post office could have far reaching consequences for residents of Kwa-Dela.
According to beneficiaries who reside in the township, the only possible solution is that the Department of Social Development or the post office provides a mobile ATM or any other device that would assist grant beneficiaries.
