We are committed to social grants

Dear Editor

Today the DA conducted oversight inspections at SASSA pay-points across the country to interact with long-suffering residents who have to stand in long queues to collect their Older Persons or Pensioners Grants. Please download photos and videos of these engagements below:

Bridget Masango engages with recipients at the SASSA office in Benoni here, here and here.
An official at the Benoni SASSA offices informs recipients that they need to travel to alternative offices due to “the implementation of a new system”, here.
Bax Nodada engages with SASSA recipients at the SASSA office in Motherwell in the Eastern Cape, here.
Solly Malatsi was at the SASSA office in Polokwane to engage with recipients, here.
Roelof Lourens, engaging with recipients at the SASSA pay-point at Shoprite in Polokwane, here.
Today, representatives of the DA embarked on oversight visits to various South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) offices nationwide. These visits aim to engage with grant recipients and reassure them of the party’s unwavering commitment to protecting social grants.

As the pay date for older persons grants coincided with our oversight visits, we took the opportunity to interact directly with beneficiaries. Similar engagements are planned for Monday and Tuesday, coinciding with the disbursement of Disability and Children grants.

During my visits to the SASSA offices in Benoni and Tembisa, I conveyed a clear message to recipients: the DA stands firm in its pledge to safeguard and maintain social grants. This commitment is not only rooted in the South African constitution but is also a cornerstone of the DA’s policy framework.

While the ANC may resort to empty promises to cling to power, the DA remains steadfast in its dedication to serving the people, not exploiting them. Additionally, today’s oversight visits revealed instances where grant beneficiaries were inconvenienced due to system downtimes, being instructed to travel to alternative offices, and faced with the inability to update contact information due to the implementation of a new system.

These challenges underscore the importance of not only ensuring the security of social grants but also the need for efficient and reliable administrative systems to support beneficiaries effectively.

We want to reassure all South Africans that their social grants are secure under the DA’s stewardship. Our commitment extends beyond mere words; it encompasses concrete actions to combat corruption, which threatens the sustainability of social welfare programs. We advocate for the transparent and efficient use of taxpayer funds to ensure the continued provision of vital social services.

Moreover, the Democratic Alliance is proud to announce that under our government, the child support grant will be increased to align with the official food poverty line. This means that the child support grant, currently at R510, will be raised to R760 per recipient—a significant increase of R250 per month. This measure underscores our commitment to uplifting families out of poverty and ensuring the well-being of children across South Africa.

As we approach the upcoming elections, we urge voters to support the DA – the party that fights tirelessly to protect their social grants and to build a brighter future for all citizens.

Regards

Bridget Masango MP
DA Shadow Minister of Social Development