The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape fears that the relocation of the SASSA office to the suburbs in Barkley West, may hamper the provision of much needed support to the poorest of the poor. We have therefore started a petition, in an attempt to get the offices moved back into town.

The office used to be in a rented building in Campbell Street, in the city centre. It has since moved into a small house in the suburbs, belonging to the Department of Public Works. Following complaints received by the community, I conducted an oversight inspection at the new premises (see pic here).

The new address, in a middle-to-high class suburb, is hard to find and largely out of reach of residents who are dependent on SASSA services.

Beneficiaries have to walk longer distances to reach it. Given the long queues at the facility, and the fact that overflow residents get turned away at the end of the day, people often leave their homes at 5am to get there early. However, crossing through the veld and dense bush, which now stands between them and much needed grant support, presents a safety risk, aggravated by the fact that streetlights in the vicinity do not work. This is particularly hazardous for women and the elderly.

There is no seating outside the new facility, so people stand in the sun for hours. There is no shop in the nearby vicinity to purchase food or water. There are also only three toilets.

While beneficiaries find the new offices both inconvenient and inappropriate, residents in the suburb also complain about increasing noise levels starting as early as 5am.

From my interactions with a large percentage of the community, who depend on SASSA, it is clear that the majority are in favour of having the offices moved back into town.

The DA will gather signatures in support of bringing SASSA services closer to the people, after which the petition will be presented to MEC of Social Development, Nontobeko Vilakazi.

Grant support is of little value if those who need it, cannot access it.

 

Issued by The DA