Articles for Marecia Damons

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Treasury and SASSA granted leave to appeal ruling on SRD grant

“Due to the complexity and seriousness of this case…it deserves the attention of the Supreme Court of Appeal,” says Judge Leonard Twala

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Brief | 19 March 2025

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Only one million grantees have so far switched to Postbank’s new card

Postbank says it’s issuing over 30,000 per day to get as many people swapped before the 20 March deadline

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News | 18 March 2025

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SASSA’s plans to shorten queues and improve grant payment system

About 1.4-million people still need to replace their SASSA cards before the deadline on Thursday

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News | 14 March 2025

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Budget: Social grants to increase and VAT goes up

Finance minister announces above-inflation grant increases

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News | 12 March 2025

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SASSA gets about 80,000 new SRD grant applications each month

17.4-million people have applied for the Social Relief of Distress grant since it was introduced in May 2020

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Brief | 11 March 2025

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Here’s how a disabled person spent their grant

We spent time with 31-year-old Khanyo Mantshi from Khayelitsha who says his grant falls short of his needs

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News | 10 March 2025

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Slow systems delay switch to new social grant card

Postbank acknowledges that completing the card transition before 20 March deadline is unlikely

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News | 6 March 2025

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About 1.9-million people still need to swap gold cards as SASSA deadline looms

Postbank admits that completing the process on time is “impossible”

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News | 4 March 2025

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Serious flaws in SASSA system, MPs are told - again

Unclear why same investigators, with unclear qualifications for the job, have presented more or less the same obvious findings to Parliament a second time

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News | 26 February 2025

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Can the SRD grant court order be implemented? Activists say yes

The Department of Social Development is to appeal the recent ruling. But #PayTheGrants and the Institute for Economic Justice say it should and can be implemented

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News | 19 February 2025

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Chaotic switch to Black Card: What Postbank says it’s doing to fix the problems

More than 2-million people still need to switch

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News | 18 February 2025

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Deadline to replace SASSA Gold Cards extended to 20 March

This comes as thousands of beneficiaries have been queuing for hours outside service points across the country to get the new Black Card

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Brief | 14 February 2025

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This SASSA office opens earlier to deal with “high influx” of clients

A community worker says she sleeps outside the office to secure spaces for elderly or disabled people

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News | 10 February 2025

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CPUT students protest against their “dire” accommodation

Students have been sleeping outside and in hallways

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News | 7 February 2025

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Leaked ANC document calls for basic income grant in 2025

But official statement after lekgotla makes no mention of it

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News | 5 February 2025

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Explosive court ruling on SRD grant

Government ordered to “progressively increase” the grant and income threshold, and allow in-person applications

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News | 24 January 2025