Human rights organisation the Black Sash has urged the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa), the South African Post Office, retailers and banks to improve coronavirus (Covid-19) safety protocols and ensure that these are strictly enforced while social grant payments are distributed.

This comes after media reports revealed a lack of support at many retail outlets as the country’s elderly and disabled citizens joined long queues to collect their social grants.

The Black Sash has called for the enforcement of physical distancing, as well as  provisions for hand-sanitising, hygiene and toilet facilities.

With the country currently under a 21-day lockdown, the government has allowed for the early payment of social grants for the elderly and people with disabilities.

The organisation shared concerns of a further spread of the virus to vulnerable communities as grant beneficiaries waited for hours in queues.

The Black Sash said grant recipients wanted to comply with the lockdown, but the current socioeconomic conditions made this extremely challenging.

“We appreciate that some retailers and commercial banks made great effort to enforce the necessary protective measures such as physical distancing and hygiene protocols. However, the majority of grant beneficiaries were left without the benefit of any protective measures while waiting for hours in very long and congested queues,” said the movement.

LIMITED CASH

The Black Sash also received reports that on Monday ATMs and many retailers ran out of the cash needed to pay grant payments.

It said, limited cash at some grant payment channels was a systemic issue which has worsened since the Covid-19 lockdown. Many beneficiaries were asked to return on Tuesday to collect their grants.

“The amounts allocated for the different types of social grants are meagre. But they are often the only source of income for many poor households. The grocery bill, without the contributions of the school feeding schemes for a 21-day nationwide lockdown, has considerably increased for many poor households. The lockdown and restrictions on public transport following this week’s grant payments mean that many beneficiaries have no choice but to stock up how, when or if they can,” the organisation explained.

The Black Sash urged the Department of Social Development to expand its current food feeding scheme plans and to urgently release funds from the R96-million Disaster Relief Fund to affected communities.