GOOD press statement by Philiswa Marman,
GOOD: City of Cape Town Councillor
14 July 2022
The SA Social Security Agency needs to urgently come up with a contingency plan for residents in Khayelitsha where the local office has been closed without explanation.
Hundreds have been left stranded, queuing and even sleeping in the cold after officials started clearing out the Sassa office on Monday.
It’s understood this is due to renovations in the building which houses the Western Cape Department of Social Development.
The Sassa office is there to serve the most vulnerable in our communities, and it’s unacceptable for a branch to close it doors without informing residents, and expect them to simply go to a different one.
Most of these families do not have the means get to nearby offices in Mitchells Plain or Wynberg, as they can’t access the exact grants on which they depend.
This is yet another example of how the people who rely on Sassa are simply treated like their lives are meaningless.
Millions have already been left in despair due to the recent delays in the payment of the Social Relief of Distress grants. And now it seems over half of people who applied for the R350 grant have now been rejected, due to a stricter means test.
As GOOD, we call on Sassa to treat this community with the dignity and respect they deserve and provide the services in the area where they are supposed to be provided.
Media Enquiries:
Philiswa Marman, GOOD: City of Cape Town Councillor
Cell: 068 541 4888
Email: philiswaM@forgood.org.za
Janke Tolmay, GOOD: Media Manager
Cell: 0733671223
Email: janke@forgood.org.za