SASSA crisis: Is there a contingency plan for Gauteng?

9 March 2017

The DA has submitted urgent oral questions to hold Gauteng Social Development MEC, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza to account on what her department’s contingency plan is for mitigating the risk that more than 2.4 million Gauteng residents will possibly not receive their social grant money on 01 April 2017.

Gauteng accounts for 14.3% of the national population receiving social grants.

2.4 million SASSA-dependant residents not receiving payment will have an adverse effect on the Gauteng provincial economy.

MEC Mayathula-Khoza has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that the allocation of social grant funding takes place to ensure that old-age pensions, war veterans, disability, foster care, care dependency and child support payments go ahead.

Many NGO’s in the province might have to close their doors and halt services to the most vulnerable residents in our province.

We are heading towards an unparalleled catastrophe, because the ANC’s Bathabile Dlamini has failed to put the interests of the poor first.

The DA is ready to do whatever we can to ensure that every single person who needs a grant, gets a grant come 01 April 2017.

Issued by by Refiloe Nt’sekhe, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Social Development, 9 March 2017