Statement by Nazley Sharif MP – DA Spokesperson on Social Development:
The affairs of the Department of Social Development (DSD) are collapsing under Minister Sisisi Tolashe. In her fifth scandal of the year so far, she has failed in her most basic job: to provide assistance for the most vulnerable in society.
Since Minister Tolashe’s appointment, the DSD has lurched from one controversy to another, including her dubious links to two Chinese luxury vehicles now under investigation by SAPS, alleged abuse of her domestic staff, alleged unlawful appointments of her DG and reported irregular appointments in the department and in her office.
That dysfunction is now directly harming the millions of South Africans who rely on social grants to survive.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been inundated with complaints from desperate SASSA grant beneficiaries who have once again been failed by a collapsing system under Minister Sisisi Tolashe’s leadership. Vulnerable South Africans, including beneficiaries who have already been successfully biometrically verified, have still not received their grants this month.
This is not merely administrative failure, but lack of leadership from the Minister. It is a direct betrayal of the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in South Africa.
Beneficiaries have reported unanswered phones, inaccessible support channels, and total silence from SASSA while severe weather conditions make travel to local offices dangerous and, in many cases, impossible. Those who do reach SASSA offices are met with chaos: endless queues, failed appointment systems, and repeated visits without assistance.
The DA has alerted both SASSA and the Department of Social Development to this growing crisis but has received no meaningful response.
South Africans deserve answers as to why legitimate beneficiaries are being subjected to unnecessary suffering because of government incompetence.
The DA will continue demanding full transparency on the biometric verification system and SASSA’s shocking inability to implement it without disrupting payments to lawful beneficiaries.
Any promise of stability has not materialised. Once again, it is the poorest citizens who are paying the price for this chaos, incompetence, and neglect.
The DA will not stand by while vulnerable South Africans are abandoned by a Minister that has lost control of one of the country’s most critical social support systems.
Petite Flurry
A baby was born in South Africa. The village was very poor, and the makeshift hospital didn\’t have some necessary equipment.. such as scales.
The father however, was desperate to know the newborn baby\’s weight. After quite a bit of asking around, the hospital\’s chairman came up with an idea.
\”Five miles west, there\’s a butcher shop. The owner deals with meat, he should have a rather precise scale. You could just put your baby on the meat scale, and the weight reading you\’ll get should be pretty accurate.\”
And so the father departed westward. After much walking, with his newborn child cardled safely in his arms, he finally arrived at the butcher shop. He explained his dilemma to the shop owner, to witch the latter replied:
\”Don\’t worry, friend. It\’s not even a problem, I\’ll check it for you, free of charge.\” And so he took the child to the back, where the scale was located.
The father heard rumbling noises, and some scraping.. About a minute later the butcher came back.
\”About three pounds boneless\” He said.
Gentle Avenger
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