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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape is raising the alarm over the severe challenges potentially faced by some of the 1.2 million South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries in the province. Many of the Western Cape’s SASSA Gold Card holders, relying on social grants for their basic livelihoods, are going to experience disruptions in receiving their payments due to a combination of the ailing migration from Gold Cards to a new Postbank Black Card and a broken verification system. According to SASSA, Gold Cards will stop working at the end of February, despite the severe issues with the migration.

This leaves Gold Card holders with fears that they will soon be unable to access their grants. To make matters worse, SASSA's verification system for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant has been temporarily suspended, further inflating the problem. Many recipients are struggling to verify their details, making it impossible for them to continue receiving their much-needed financial assistance.

The DA in WC urges SASSA Gold Card users to switch from Postbank to other reputable, reliable banking institutions to ensure their grants are received without interruption. The transition to Black Cards has been chaotic, with many beneficiaries being sent from one office to another only to return home empty-handed. This inefficient process is causing uncertainty and distress, taking a significant toll on already vulnerable individuals and further depleting their limited resources.

We want to echo the call made by DA National Spokesperson on Social Development Bridget Masango to Minister Tolashe to urgently account to Parliament regarding the number of SASSA beneficiaries still relying on Gold Cards and the number of recipients who have successfully switched to Black Cards or opened accounts with reliable banks. Furthermore, the Minister must provide clarity on the impact of the verification system suspension and how many legitimate SRD grant recipients are being unfairly locked out of receiving their grants.

SASSA’s actions have long been a source of frustration for South Africa’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. While the DA supports efforts to get rid fraudulent payments, it is crucial that these efforts do not harm the legitimate recipients who depend on these funds for survival. Legitimate beneficiaries struggling to trying to access their grants is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.

The DA in the Western Cape calls on the Minister to take swift action to resolve this crisis and to ensure that no one is left behind.

Issued by Wendy Kaizer-Philander MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development