The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini has noted the claims by the Democratic Alliance (DA) on beneficiaries who allegedly did not get their social grants at the Rabasotho Community Centre in Tembisa.

The Minister would like to state that the Rabasotho Community Centre was not scheduled for payment today. It is scheduled for payment from April 4 - 7 2017 and beneficiaries were given slips last month that clearly state dates and venues. The DA should have simply asked people for these slips or contacted the call centre for assistance as was widely communicated.

"Members of Parliament, especially if they are members of the portfolio committee on Social Development, have a duty to give information and educate South Africans. If the members of the DA had the best interest of South Africans at heart, they should have at least tried to find the correct information for the supposed stranded beneficiaries. It looks like the DA cannot believe that indeed social grants were paid, they even abandoned the values of ubuntu - caring, compassion, respect, dignity," said Minister Dlamini.

It is clear that the DA is operating in desperation and we appeal to social grant recipients to go to their respective dates and venues as they appear on their slips given last month. Social grants are paid over 15 days beginning on the first day of each month and payment will continue until April 17 in the Gauteng Province.  Social grants are paid through various channels including merchants, banks, points of sale, ATMs and SASSA cash paypoints.

We take the opportunity to remind beneficiaries who have any challenges with the grants to call the SASSA call centre on 0800 60 10 11  toll-free to get assistance.

By the end of April 1, SASSA had disbursed over R3,3 billion. On deductions: The Minister is committed to following the ConCourt order to the latter.

Issued by GCIS