SASSA to reopen in phases, says DA
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it received confirmation from South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula that their offices will gradually start re-opening.
The party gave Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu until the end of business on Monday to open the agency’s offices or face legal action.
This comes amid Monday’s technical glitches, understaffing and the payment the Covid-19 relief grant top-ups, which led to long queues, some beneficiaries receiving double-pay and others nothing at all.
Speaking on Tuesday, the DA's Bridget Masango said there was a dire need for offices to open countrywide.
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"Among the top three or four services that the president said was allowed, was the grants that are run by the Department of Social Development through SASSA.
"You would then expect that SASSA is then one of the first respondents in the crisis that we are in as a result. They would be there to process the applications of newborn babies, disability grants that are expiring the grants of people that are coming into the ranks of the unemployed due to the lockdown and it is in that very time that SASSA closed their offices," Masango said.
Masango said Memela-Khambula confirmed that 30% of SASSA employees will return to work.
"Through our hard-lining and advising lawyers to take this, we are pleased to hear that SASSA is saying they are staggering the opening their offices from 30% and now they are busy cleaning their offices and sanitising their offices.
"But it did not need to get here. SASSA is an essential service, their office should have never been closed.”