By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
25 January 2025- The Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe has pledged her support and commitment to improving SASSA services. Tolashe, who was addressing SASSA senior managers at a strategic planning session in Cape Town on 21 January 2025, congratulated the many social grant beneficiaries who excelled in the 2024 matric exams.
She further said of the 724 156 full time learners, who registered for the National Senior Certificate (NSC), 572 338 are social grant beneficiaries, representing 81% of the registered pupils in the education sector. Tolashe added that these learners achieved a commendable pass rate of 86%.
“This indicates that the investment the government is making in the lives of poor and vulnerable children is yielding positive impacts, in breaking intergenerational poverty.
“Reflecting on recent achievements, we have key milestones and ongoing priorities. We commit to urgently addressing the issue of permanent leadership appointments and the shortage of personnel at most local offices,” she said.
Tolashe said furthermore, there is a need for community-based engagements and outreach activities. She said the community is waiting for their immense intensification of community outreach, where they prioritize underserved areas to bring services closer to the people.
“With regards to SASSA systems, we urged management to prioritize improving and modernizing systems to improve accessibility, queue management and prevent fraud.
“In addition, we have requested SASSA acting CEO, Themba Matlou, to provide a plan that seeks to resolve the challenges of payment channels in rural areas by providing an alternative solution for payments,” said Tolashe.
She said they have committed themselves to work with him and they are available at all times to address the challenges together. Tolashe said they all need to be solution-driven in their course to make changes to the lives of the people through concerted efforts.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Bridget Masango said: “We have called on the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to restore the suspended Electronic Know Your Client (eKYC) system to allow eligible beneficiaries to verify and receive their grants.
“SASSA has informed all Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant recipients that they are suspending their grant payments to verify and confirm their identity and prevent fraudulent applications. SRD grant beneficiaries are required to re-apply and verify their identity using the eKYC system.”
Masango said, however, SASSA has suspended this system, preventing beneficiaries from verifying their identity. She said they appreciate the effort to combat fraud, but they strongly express concern about the suspended eKYC verification system that leaves thousands of eligible people unable to prove their eligibility.
“According to media reports, SASSA has suspended 100 550 SRD grant payments in the Eastern Cape as part of its ongoing investigation into the weaknesses in the SRD grant payment system. It is not clear what the percentage of those committing fraud is because the verification system is offline.
“The Minister must intervene and ensure that the verification system is brought back online to enable the deserving beneficiaries to receive their grants,” said Masango.
The Guardian 