SASSA recipients reassured that social grants will continue despite Hawks investigation

News about the Hawks investigation into South Africa Post Office boss, Nomkhitha Mona, has created concern amongst some social grants beneficiaries who are worried they won’t receive their grants… writes Godfrey Sigwela.

The fears followed their excitement after the budget speech in which they were promised they would receive increments. But this led to worry and frustration when they heard about the Hawks investigation into the SA Post Office.

One concerned beneficiary said: “Though the increase in social grants is in drips and drabs it helps us to fight poverty. But it is sad to note that we will not get paid in March due to the allegations of corruption from the SA Post Office.”

Social grants beneficiaries have relied on the SA Post Office. The state-owned enterprise has assisted them to get the gold cards they use to obtain their money from banks and retail stores.

However, they did not stop to share on the grapevine and raised their fears about their money.

With fears about being able to receive their money, some citizens blamed the SA Post Office boss Mona who allegedly failed to pay R1-billion in workers’ benefits. Some believed that their social grants would be affected by the Hawks investigation.

However beneficiaries have been reassured that they will get their money despite the Hawks investigation.

A joint media statement by SASSA spokesperson, Tabisa Nondwayi and Dr Bongani Diako, Post Bank spokesperson has been issued.

In the statement, Postbank and SASSA call on social grants recipients using the SASSA/Postbank Cards which expire in March 2023 (03/2023) to go and collect their new SASSA/Postbank Gold Cards at their nearest Post Office branch, starting from Monday 13 March 2023.

Social grants recipients carrying cards that are not expiring during March, are discouraged from making attempts to collect new cards at the Post Office during this month.

SASSA and Postbank will issue a public announcement regarding the dates and
processes for the collection of SASSA/Postbank Gold Cards that expire in future months. Grants recipients with these cards that expire after March should not be concerned, said the statement, because they will continue to receive their social grants monies into those cards as they remain valid.