Bathabile Dlamini must explain why she fails to re-open Kempton Park SASSA office

6 June 2017

The Kempton Park community has been without a South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) office for the last five years. Yet, the Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, keeps dodging questions about when and where the new SASSA office will be opened.

I will write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in Parliament to request that the Minister be called before the committee to explain when she intends to open the much needed SASSA office.

The office was initially closed on 28 February 2012, since then, the Department has been dragging its feet in opening a new office.

- In 2015 the Minister stated in a Parliamentary reply that, “[the] South African Social Security Agency has initiated a procurement process to acquire office accommodation through the Department of Public Works at the beginning of this financial year. It was envisaged that this office would have been reopened in the third quarter of 2014/2015 financial year. However due to non - responses of suitable bidders, this has since not materialised as envisaged.”

- In May of 2016 the Minister stated, “SASSA, Gauteng Region, through The National Department of Public Works (NDPW), is in the process of acquiring permanent office accommodation for the Kempton Park area. The submission of bidding documents has since closed. Three (3) weeks ago SASSA was requested to view a possible facility, which was The Trust Bank Building, same is considered suitable. The NDPW has indicated its commitment to accelerate and finalise the entire process of acquisition in a speedy manner.”

- In February 2017 she stated, “The Agency has submitted its request to the National Department of Public Works (NDPW) to facilitate the process of acquiring permanent office accommodation for the Kempton Park area. The Department of Public Works reported that a lack of responses from potential service providers initially delayed the process. However, the Department of Public Works has reported that the procurement process is now at an advanced stage as the submission for entering into a lease agreement with the recommended service provider has been routed to the Director General for approval / disapproval. SASSA now awaits feedback from the Department.”

None of the aforementioned written replies (here, here and here) indicate a timeline against which the department will hold itself accountable for opening a SASSA office. It is clear that the Department is simply dragging its feet at the expense of the most vulnerable as there is plenty of office space available in the Kempton Park CBD.

SASSA ought to be at the forefront to assist the most vulnerable in our society. Officials must be able to support those who need pensions, child support grants, disability grants or foster care grants. The DA will continue to monitor the progress in establishing a new SASSA office in Kempton Park, to meet this urgent need.

Issued by Michael Waters, DA Deputy Chief Whip in the National Assembly and Lethabong Constituency Head, 6 June 2017