The DA has again called on the South African Social Security Agency to extend all Sassa gold cards until every social grant beneficiary in need of a Postbank black card has received one.
The DA was reacting to an announcement by communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi and social development minister Nokuzola Tolashe on Friday that the deadline for beneficiaries to swap their gold Sassa card for the black Postbank card has been extended from February 28 to March 20.
The DA said the extension was insufficient time to ensure all cards were switched and would leave many beneficiaries without access to their social grants.
It said the extension also failed to address the deeper, systemic issues affecting social grant beneficiaries nationwide.
“The truth is that this deadline extension, which is just weeks away, will do little to ease the considerable frustrations, confusion and access barriers many beneficiaries encounter,” the DA said.
It said millions of beneficiaries still relied on their Sassa gold cards and their efforts to switch to Postbank black cards have been continuously thwarted by Sassa's inability to ensure that Postbank branches and retailers have staff and cards available to perform the switch.
“While Sassa now claims that beneficiaries without Postbank black cards will have access to their grants at post offices, post offices across the country are closing down and many rural communities have no nearby post offices any more.
“How are these beneficiaries meant to access their grants? Sassa is simply throwing them to the wolves.”
The DA said the issue highlighted Sassa's inability to effectively plan, resource and execute this transition.
“The DA once again calls on Sassa to extend all Sassa gold cards until every social grant beneficiary in need of a Postbank black card has received one. It is the only way to ensure that social grant beneficiaries are able to reliably access their grants.”
TimesLIVE
Deadline extension 'insufficient time' for beneficiaries to change Sassa bank cards: DA
Image: SA Government/X
The DA has again called on the South African Social Security Agency to extend all Sassa gold cards until every social grant beneficiary in need of a Postbank black card has received one.
The DA was reacting to an announcement by communications and digital technologies minister Solly Malatsi and social development minister Nokuzola Tolashe on Friday that the deadline for beneficiaries to swap their gold Sassa card for the black Postbank card has been extended from February 28 to March 20.
The DA said the extension was insufficient time to ensure all cards were switched and would leave many beneficiaries without access to their social grants.
It said the extension also failed to address the deeper, systemic issues affecting social grant beneficiaries nationwide.
“The truth is that this deadline extension, which is just weeks away, will do little to ease the considerable frustrations, confusion and access barriers many beneficiaries encounter,” the DA said.
It said millions of beneficiaries still relied on their Sassa gold cards and their efforts to switch to Postbank black cards have been continuously thwarted by Sassa's inability to ensure that Postbank branches and retailers have staff and cards available to perform the switch.
“While Sassa now claims that beneficiaries without Postbank black cards will have access to their grants at post offices, post offices across the country are closing down and many rural communities have no nearby post offices any more.
“How are these beneficiaries meant to access their grants? Sassa is simply throwing them to the wolves.”
The DA said the issue highlighted Sassa's inability to effectively plan, resource and execute this transition.
“The DA once again calls on Sassa to extend all Sassa gold cards until every social grant beneficiary in need of a Postbank black card has received one. It is the only way to ensure that social grant beneficiaries are able to reliably access their grants.”
TimesLIVE
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