RESTORING DIGNITY, ONE STEP AT A TIME: COMMUNITY OUTREACH BRINGS HOPE TO KHAYELITSHA

By Mashudu Mzimba.

• The ICROP campaign, led by SASSA, is bringing essential government services—including grant applications and job-seeking support—directly to Khayelitsha residents, easing access and restoring dignity.
• After six years of unemployment and hardship, 60-year-old Portia Liwani applies for her first Old Age Pension Grant, expressing gratitude for the compassionate service and renewed sense of belonging.
• From Exclusion to Inclusion: The campaign’s respectful, citizen-centred approach exemplifies the Department of Social Development’s renewed focus on dignity, inclusion, and family support—echoing the theme of the upcoming Budget Vote 19.

The scene at OR Tambo Community Hall in Khayelitsha is both vibrant and calm, as a steady stream of residents enters the venue. The Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme (ICROP), led by SASSA, is in full swing, drawing in large numbers of elderly citizens, caregivers, and young job seekers alike. The hall is abuzz with purposeful activity. In one section, senior citizens queue patiently to submit their applications for their old-age pensions. In another, young adults engage with Department of Labour officials, seeking employment opportunities. Despite the large turnout, a spirit of respect, relief, and quiet optimism fills the space. SASSA officials move attentively through the crowd, treating each person with patience and dignity.

Among those being assisted is Portia Liwani, a 60-year-old woman from Q27 Side B, Khayelitsha, who arrived before sunrise. “I left my house at 5:00 AM because I couldn’t wait any longer,” she says. “By 6:20, I was already in the queue. Even though it was long, I didn’t mind, because I was excited. I’ve been counting down the days.”

Today marks a pivotal moment for Portia, as she applies for the Old Age Pension Grant for the first time. Unemployed since 2019, she has endured six years of economic hardship. “When I lost my job, everything stopped,” she explains. “I’ve survived on my children’s social grants. But when those ended, things got even harder.” Her two children, aged 20 and 22, both completed matric but remain unemployed – a reality shared by many in Khayelitsha, where youth unemployment exceeds 55%. “We sometimes make one loaf of bread last the whole day,” she shares. “Some nights, we sleep with just water in our stomachs. It’s been a hard journey.”

Turning 60 opens a new chapter for Portia. “I’m happy I’ve reached this age,” she smiles. “For the first time, I can apply for something meant for me. I’ve always put my children first. Now I feel like I can stand on my own again.”

Portia speaks with deep appreciation for government, especially for the RDP home she now calls her own. “People complain about government, but not me. I have a house because of them,” she says. “And today, they’ve shown me I still matter. That’s something I’ll never forget.”

She is especially moved by the respectful service at ICROP. “The staff treat us with respect. No shouting, no rushing. They explain everything clearly and speak to us with kindness. I feel seen. I feel heard.”

The ICROP campaign continues throughout the week in Khayelitsha, offering a wide range of services to the community. Beyond reducing the financial burden of travelling to distant offices, the initiative is restoring a vital sense of dignity. Residents may arrive anxious and uncertain but leave feeling recognized and reassured. “This programme brings dignity back to us,” Portia affirms. “We don’t come here to beg. We come here because we’re citizens. And we are treated with respect. That’s all we ask for.”

As Minister of Social Development Ms. Sisisi Tolashe and Deputy Minister Ganief Hendricks prepare to table Budget Vote 19 on Thursday, 10 July 2025, under the theme: “Restoring Trust, Deepening Impact: Reigniting the Role of the Family in a Renewed Commitment to Dignity and Inclusion,” Portia Liwani’s story gives life to that vision. “Even though I don’t have the grant yet, I already feel lighter,” she says. “This is the beginning of something better. After six years of struggling, today I feel like I belong again.”