SASSA Confronts Criticism Amid Reports of Inefficient Service in Western Cape

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is in the throes of combating negative publicity surrounding its operations, particularly in the Western Cape. Recent media reports spotlighting alleged inefficiency within SASSA's local offices have been branded as exaggerated by the agency's officials. This backlash came in the wake of a detailed briefing to the Western Cape provincial legislature’s standing committee on social development.

During a recent unannounced visit to various SASSA offices, the committee, led by DA’s Wendy Kaizer-Philander, encountered numerous issues firsthand. They reported inadequate facilities, persistent system outages, and a lack of necessary accommodations for people with disabilities. Contrasting the committee's observations, SASSA’s acting regional manager in the Western Cape, Sibusiso Nhlangothi, defended the agency's performance. He emphasized that the negative reports had stemmed mostly from incidents localized at the Bellville and Eerste River offices and do not reflect the overall functionality of SASSA in the region.

The agency acknowledged some internal challenges such as staff shortages, technical problems with the SOCPEN grant payment system, and difficulties securing adequate office space. According to Griffon Pheiffer, SASSA’s provincial acting general manager of grants, system outages have compelled staff to revert to manual operations, unfortunately prolonging service delivery.

In response to the issue of long queues, which was starkly evident when dozens huddled under a tree to escape rain at the Athlone office, Nhlangothi remarked that queues were an unavoidable aspect of their processing work. However, strategies are allegedly being devised to mitigate these waiting times and improve overall efficiency.

Ntsietso Sesiu, the provincial acting general manager for corporate services, highlighted setbacks in securing office premises, notably in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha. Plans are underway to install prefabricated offices to alleviate some of these spatial constraints.

The plight of the beneficiaries waiting in queues did not go unnoticed by members of the provincial legislature during the committee meeting. Proposals such as prioritizing individuals who were previously turned away due to cut-off times were discussed as potential short-term solutions.

In a bid to address these myriad issues, SASSA assured the committee of forthcoming initiatives aimed at extending office hours, expanding outreach programs, and further digitizing the grant application process, thereby enhancing accessibility and efficiency of services delivered to the public.

While SASSA has conceded to some operational flaws, it staunchly refutes the portrayal of a completely dysfunctional system, emphasizing ongoing efforts to fulfill its mandate to the citizens of the Western Cape.