Crossroads woman accuses social worker of keeping her pension

Nomncwase Saule is 70 and lives in the Boystown area. She is from Qonce in the Eastern Cape but left home in high school. She told GroundUp that she met the social worker, Marriam Makhosana, who has offices in Nyanga, in 2013.

She said she had gone to “a government office” in Nyanga with Makhosana and her fingerprints had been taken. She said she did not know that she was giving Makhosana rights to collect her money.

GroundUp visited Saule in the one-roomed shack recently built for her by community members after they dismantled her old shack, which Saule said had been leaking.

She complains about not having enough food and she suffers back pain because she sleeps seated on the cold floor. She cooks on a wood fire outside her shack and when it rains she uses a small zinc toilet to cook.

Saule said Makhosana had kept her SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) card and bought her groceries.

“I’ve been telling this woman to give me back my card, but she refuses. The food she gives me is little. This month she gave me a few groceries and R100. When I complain, she ignores me and leaves,” said Saule.

Makhosana said she bought Saule enough food but other members of the community took her food. “Can you imagine one person eating food that costs about R500 a month?,” asked Makhosana. “I always buy her enough food, but after two weeks everything is finished. She told me there are people who take her food.”

“I can’t live in her house and make sure no one takes her food,” Makhosana said.

She said no one had proof that she was misusing Saule’s money.

“Saule has a funeral policy all because of me,” she added.

In terms of the Social Assistance Act of 2004, a social grant can be collected by an administrator appointed by SASSA to collect the grant on the beneficiary’s behalf, according to SASSA’s Lisa Kindo. SASSA’s records reflect that Saule did in fact appoint Makhosana to be her procurator.

“Mrs Makhosana has been appointed as a procurator by Ms Saule and has the right to collect the money on her behalf,” according to Kindo.

She said if Saule was not happy with the way her social grant was managed by Makosana, she had a right to terminate the arrangement in writing and could make contact with the nearest SASSA office.