MINISTER CALLS FOR NEW PLAN FOR SASSA CARD SWAP

By Precious Mupenzi

• South African State Security Agency (SASSA) grant beneficiaries are battling long queues, high travel costs and system failures in trying to swap their gold Postbank cards for black ones.
• The Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, who visited a number of sites across Cape Town, apologised to the social grant beneficiaries.
• She has also called on the Postbank to come up with a new plan.

 Social Development Minister Nokuzola Tolashe has issued a public apology to social grant beneficiaries who have endured long queues, excessive travel costs, and system failures while attempting to swap their gold South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards for Postbank black cards.

This comes after numerous complaints from grant recipients who have struggled to access the service, particularly in remote areas where post offices are either non-existent or far away.

To address these concerns, Minister Tolashe embarked on a three-stop oversight visit in the Western Cape on Monday, 24 February 2025 starting in Grabouw, moving to Khayelitsha, and concluding in Bellville.

The objective of the visit was to assess the situation first-hand and ensure that interventions are in place to alleviate the burden on grant recipients.

Long Distances, High Costs, and System Failures

In Grabouw, the minister visited the Thusong Centre, which serves approximately 11 000 people.

With the nearest post office located 90km away, beneficiaries are forced to spend up to R240 on transport.

In response, major banks have joined the campaign to help people open alternative bank accounts. However, Minister Tolashe acknowledged that these measures are still inadequate.

“Our people are struggling. Some have been sleeping in queues, while others pay up to R300 in transport fees just to get here, with no guarantee they will receive their cards. This is inhumane,” she said.

By the time the minister reached Bellville, she had observed the same distressing conditions.

 Some beneficiaries reported arriving at 1am only to find that systems were offline, leaving them stranded. Others recounted making multiple trips, spending money they could not afford, just to collect their grants.

Frustration and Desperation Among Beneficiaries

One beneficiary, who travelled from Gansbaai, expressed her frustration: “I had to travel all the way from Gansbaai to Bellville to change to the black Postbank card. The machine is offline, and we’ve been here since 4am. We paid R300 for transport, but there are no post offices open in our area.”

Another elderly grant recipient in Khayelitsha shared similar concerns: “We stand in the queue for hours, and there is no food, and no toilets. Some of us are old, and we cannot keep coming back over and over again.”

Minister Demands Urgent Action from Postbank

Minister Tolashe did not mince her words, calling on Postbank to urgently fix the situation.

“We have been monitoring this process closely, and it is simply not working. It is unacceptable that only 15 cards are being issued in four hours. Our elderly are left in long queues, exposed to the elements and potential dangers, including robbery,” she stated.

She further called on Postbank to be more responsive and agile in resolving these issues.

“People cannot be subjected to this indignity. We will be meeting with Postbank and other stakeholders to ensure this matter is urgently resolved.”

Implementation and Timelines

The minister emphasised the need for clear implementation plans and time frames.

She noted that the plans had already been outlined before the portfolio committee in Parliament on Tuesday, 18 February 2025 particularly addressing the issue of non-existent sites in Grabouw.

“When are we going to have sites in Grabouw?” she questioned.

She further stated that she has already expressed her concerns to the minister of Communication and Digital Technologies and will now escalate the issue because SASSA is at the receiving end and getting all the blame for Postbank’s failures.

“We are calling on Postbank to ensure that their plan is effective. Currently, it is not working efficiently. What was previously stated did not happen.”

The minister has urged Postbank to come up with a new plan and further mentioned that the matter will be presented in Parliament.

A System Under Pressure

Western Cape Regional Executive Manager Sibusiso Nhlangothi highlighted the scale of the issue, stating that of the 19 million social grant recipients in South Africa, 1.7 million are in the Western Cape – representing 22% of the province’s population.

“Social grants are a lifeline for many. The Western Cape is the third-large economy in the country, contributing 14% to the GDP, yet a significant portion of our population depends on these grants. That is why we need a seamless and efficient system,” Nhlangothi emphasised.

A Call for Urgent Solutions

As the deadline for card swaps looms, Minister Tolashe reassured beneficiaries that the department will continue working to improve the situation.

“We deeply regret the distress caused. We are on the ground, monitoring, and pushing for urgent solutions. We will not rest until our people receive the dignity and service they deserve,” she concluded.