We visited SASSA offices. Here’s what we found
People waiting in long queues told us their frustrations
Some South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries say they arrived at the SASSA office in Athlone as early as 3am. Photo: Marecia Damons
- GroundUp visited SASSA offices in Athlone and Gugulethu on Wednesday, where hundreds of beneficiaries were queuing, mostly to be assisted with disability grant issues.
- In Athlone, more than 100 people were in line when GroundUp arrived just after 7am. Some said they had been there since 3am.
- At the Gugulethu SASSA office there were many complaints about being repeatedly turned away or told to return on later dates. Queues stretched outside the property.
GroundUp visited South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) offices in Athlone and Gugulethu on Wednesday, where hundreds of social grant beneficiaries and applicants were queuing. Most of them needed assistance with disability grant issues.
We saw frustrated people waiting in long queues from early morning. Some of them were turned away before being helped.
As grant payments started this week, not everyone will receive their money on time because of a new verification drive by SASSA. The agency recently announced that beneficiaries who use identification other than a green barcoded ID or smart ID card, or who receive income into undeclared bank accounts, may face delays. The verification checks aim to prevent fraud in the social security system.
In Athlone more than 100 people were in line when we arrived just after 7am. Some said they had been there since 3am.
Bonita De Kock was there on behalf of her 86-year-old mother-in-law. She left home in Bonteheuwel at 4am. “Yesterday, I went to an ABSA bank [ATM] in Bonteheuwel, and I put the new EasyPay [card] into the ATM, but it showed there was no money,” she said.
After another failed attempt to withdraw her mother-in-law’s pension, the ATM receipt stated that she needed to visit a SASSA branch. “She’s been getting her money every month.”
De Kock said she was also applying for a disability grant for her mother-in-law. “I could’ve gone to Langa [today], but that SASSA satellite branch is closed. My mother-in-law couldn’t come and stand in this line so early, so I decided to wait in her place,” she said.
Other people in the queue complained about the lack of satellite offices in the areas neighbouring the Athlone office, like Langa, Bonteheuwel, Heideveld, Hazendal, Manenberg and Hanover Park. There are currently no SASSA offices in these areas, so people from these neighbourhoods go to the Athlone branch.
Tami Ruda, 64, from Langa, had been queuing since 5am to apply for the older person’s grant. “I woke up just before 3am … and maybe I’ll be finished here at 2pm. They need to have offices in Langa instead of having everyone come here,” he said. “If they tell me I must come back again, that’s another R40 I must spend on transport.”
Hundreds of people waited in long lines outside the SASSA office in Gugulethu on Wednesday morning. Photo: Mary-Anne Gontsana
At the Gugulethu SASSA office, complaints of being repeatedly turned away and told to return on later dates left some beneficiaries frustrated. Long queues stretched to outside the property.
Silindile Maki, a young mom, visited the branch to sort out an error on her child’s disability grant application. She was talking to the security guard inside to plead her case. “I don’t understand how one can be so rude,” she said. “All I wanted to ask was whether I should stand in the same queue as others if I am only here to fix an error. I don’t understand why he must be so rude in his response.”
Maki said she arrived at 7am. “It is my first time here and I did not anticipate such a long queue.”
While speaking to Maki another beneficiary interjected to explain that staff “take a certain number of people at a time, and then others still in the queue are ultimately sent home”.
“This morning after they opened, about 100 people were let in. But as you can see, of that hundred, some are still outside and have not even entered the premises,” said the woman.
Looking through the fence, you can see rows of red plastic chairs where more people had been queuing to get inside the premises.
In the background, an automated loudspeaker goes off every few minutes, calling out a number or a person’s full name and directing them to a teller window inside.
SASSA’s Western Cape office did not respond to our questions by the time of publication.
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Letters
Dear Editor
Someone at SASSA needs to account. They created panic that gold cards would cease to exist at a certain date. People went to apply in a panic mode. Then managers changed their minds. There was no security breach with the gold card. Why create anger, anxiety and frustration?
Dear Editor
I did write some time ago as my grandson had TB. His mother could never get into the office to give the doctor's form for his grant. He needs certain foods and the mother is unemployed. The securities are running the show in Khayelitsha. How very sad to treat the poor as if they need you. In fact, without the needy, SASSA officials and security would have no jobs.
Dear Editor
I am shocked about this. It seems all the SASSA offices are operating the same way. At Soshanguve it is the same thing. Grannies wake up early in the morning, around 3am, and stand in long queues that move slow. Or they say the system is offline. Or they start to work at 3pm because they know they are leaving at 4pm. We are suffering. Please help. I think the minister must send an inspector or auditor.
Dear Editor
I applied for an old age grant in early February 2024 at the Bellville SASSA office. My wife and I arrived at 4:30am and only left after 5pm, having been given a new date to return. I totally lost confidence in their systems because we had to waste a day just to be told to come back on a different day.
There are no exceptions for people with disabilities, mothers with babies, pensioners, pregnant women, etc. I believe SASSA must give preference to these people and change their whole system so that people do not waste a whole day without any positive help or services.
I'm still thinking of going back to the Bellville office because it's the one nearest my house.
Dear Editor
I am a retired scientist of 69 years old and my wife a retired nursing sister of the same age. Both of us worked more than 60 years combined and paid our taxes. We obviously are educated and managed to own our own house, brought up our three children and educated them with our income. We also have some savings, which we invested for our retirement.
Neither of us receive an old age pension from the government to which we have paid our taxes. Why must we degrade ourselves to stand in a queue for a meagre pension which is due to us?
Dear Editor
People with chronic diseases stand outside in the freezing cold from 3am. Simple solution: have online appointments, or walk in appointments. You have two clerks serving the appointments and two for non appointments. For non appointments, start at 7am and give numbers. If you reach 20, the rest can make appointments.
All government departments must go check out Plumstead's system – the best! You have two appointment clerks.
There are thousands of matriculants at home. Train them to complete these very simple application forms and use all the empty civic centres that are not being used.
Dear Editor
I have been trying to get the older persons grant online for two years now. Just when you think you have all the documents, they want more! By the time you have sent the last document, the first one is older than 6 months and you have to start from scratch... Now I can't even edit my application to send new docs and I can't reapply, as the system tells me I have already applied! I am too sick to stand in the long lines at the SASSA office in Wynberg and there are no satellite offices near me either. I just don't know what to do anymore and I need the money urgently.
Dear Editor
I am trying to apply for an old age grant from the Velddrif satellite office where I received my forms but battle to hand them in. I have been turned away numerous times even though I have been there since 6am and I stay till closing time. There are people that have been there up to 10 times just to hand in their forms, just like me.
At first, they issued a paper with the next date for the people not helped to be served first the next time but on that date they ignore those people and organise people into other groups and we still are not helped and go there again and again.
We were told the last time that they were going to split the group in two. They come twice in a month, so it will be for New Applications and Hand-in of Documents. Last month they arranged an extra day for the more or less 60 people like me who just had to hand in the documents, who were not helped a few times but we were again about 15 people on 25 April 2025 who now have to go back on 20 May 2025.
The people complain and then some of the SASSA officers are rude with an attitude. The security are also rude and will push late comers to the front of the line.
Some of us have contacted our DA candidate to try and solve this issue.
SASSA needs more officers to help, as most of the time here in Velddrif there are only two and the Admin Supervisor. They are also very slow. Then we get only 1 day a month to attend and if not helped you have to wait another month.
I have tried since January 2025 and my next day is 20 May 2025.
We would appreciate it if the process can be streamlined and be helped quicker.
Dear Editor
We all waited at Wynberg yesterday with queries. By 3pm we demanded to see a person in charge. A man came out and explained that we had to come back as there were still people inside waiting for service.
A lady sat at a counter doing nothing with a man in a blue overall leaning on his arm, talking to her. I wanted to take a photo but was stopped by security.
There were two people with mentally handicapped family members, a woman who has been waiting two days for service and told to come again. All I wanted was proof that my mom was receiving a grant.
This man who came out, was firm, but polite. He was prepared to listen and answer a few questions, but it helped nobody. Every form and computer was inside with nobody available to help. People who sat outside on chairs waited since 3am just to hear, "sorry, go home".
The office needs a plan to do certain things certain days, with an express enquiry counter, and relieve the burden by making forms for download available on the SASSA site.
Dear Editor
I have experienced exactly the same thing: long queues out in the cold and being turned away with my 87-year-old mother due to errors on their digital fingerprint systems. Surely a more professional approach with organisational skills including a better digital platform can be implemented to ensure responsible and efficient help to those in need. If the government continues to neglect this sector, then they have failed the most vulnerable and desperate old age people.
Dear Editor
Why doesn't the government employ young people who finished university at SASSA offices? Or children who passed matric and stay home? SASSA, Home Affairs, clinics... all the same. Please, can government let a new generation come with a plan to help the situation?
Dear Editor
The longer they take, the more the staff can steal. I've heard stories of Cape Town senior citizens waiting on their monies but someone has already been withdrawing in Johannesburg. How did that happen? It's an inside job. Instead of stopping it and let the crook inquire, no, they let the poor old person do the homework.
With all this fraudulent business happening, have a department specially for dealing with fraudulent activities. Instead of spending money on putting official photos of politicians on the walls, let people know where to go to when fraudulent activities are happening – and yes, make it as big as the photos!
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