13 August 2026
Newly appointed Minister of Social Development Dina Pule speaks to beneficiaries at the SASSA Bellville office on Thursday. Photos: Matthew Hirsch
“Because we are struggling, the clients are struggling.” This is what a frustrated South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) worker told Minister of Social Development Dina Pule during her visit to the Bellville office in Cape Town on Thursday.
Pule was conducting an oversight visit with CEO Themba Matlou and regional managers. Pule was appointed minister last month.
Pule said there were about 19-million people receiving grants, excluding the R370-a-month social relief of distress (SRD) grant, and that number could increase given the number of new applicants.
Last year, National Treasury introduced stricter conditions for SASSA’s budget to ensure grants only go to eligible beneficiaries. In May, we reported on SASSA officials visiting the Bellville office, one of the agency’s busiest, to assess how new electronic systems are working.
Michael Rondganger, an office administrator, told the minister on Thursday that the the new biometric verification system (piloted at the office) was slow. “It affects the client; it affects the service,” he said.
“We are failing them,” said Kenneth Claassen, who has worked at SASSA for many years. “We don’t have the right tools and we don’t have enough manpower. That is why we can’t give the clients the right service. We are struggling.”
Administrator Michael Rondganger told the minister that the verification system was often slow.
Charlene Meyer was at the office to help her 90-year-old relative, who has struggled to have her fingerprints taken at both the Department of Home Affairs and her bank. “She is sick and has no money,” said Meyer.
Priscilla Majavie had arrived at 6:30am and was still waiting in line at midday. She said she had been trying to apply for a disability grant for a year. She has had a stroke and cannot work.
“Every time I come here, they give me a new date,” she said.
There was also some positive feedback. Pensioner Charmaine Marcus from Ravensmead said she had come for verification and was happy with the service. “They were trying to help everybody. There are not a lot of staff,” she said.
After her visit, Pule told the media there was a clear need for more staff, and that she understood why workers were frustrated.
“There’s no way we can allow them to work under duress because then they are not able to assist the client,” she said.
Pule also visited the Khayelitsha office. She said she was particularly worried about lifts not working, meaning people with disabilities would struggle to access services.
The SASSA office in Bellville was busy on Thursday, with some beneficiaries saying they had been in line since the early hours that morning.
