Cabinet has strongly appealed to social grant beneficiaries to make the switch from the old South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) cards to the new gold card.
The South African Post Office (SAPO) and SASSA are currently migrating social grant beneficiaries to a new gold SASSA card that is tailored to prevent illegal deductions on social grants.
The new SASSA card operates fully within the national payment system and social grants beneficiaries can use it to make ATM and merchant cash withdrawals, free retail merchant purchases as well as to withdraw cash over the counter inside a Post Office.
Briefing media on the outcomes of the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane said SASSA has so far replaced about 5.5 million old cards with the new card, but “thousands still need to be exchanged”.
SASSA, SAPO partnership welcomed
Cabinet also welcomed the progress report presented by Social Development Minister, Susan Shabangu, on the partnership between SASSA and SAPO to take over the payments of social grants from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) with effect from 1 October 2018.
SAPO will also take over the payment of cash to those recipients who were unable to withdraw cash from ATMs or merchants.
During a media briefing last week, Minister of Telecommunications and Postal Services Siyabonga Cwele assured beneficiaries that the process of phasing out CPS and phasing in SAPO to pay social grants was moving smoothly with no glitches expected.
Cwele explained that the glitches experienced in July regarding the payment of grants were not caused by SASSA or SAPO, but network challenges.
“We continue to support our operators on the ground and are making sure that we improve the infrastructure and conditions for grant recipients to receive their grants,” Cwele said at the time.
Theft of cables condemned
Meanwhile, Cabinet condemned the theft of cables at one of the Post Office branches in Pretoria, which affected the payment of social grants.
Cabinet appealed to the affected beneficiaries and urged South Africans to frown upon the selling of stolen goods.
For further information, social grant beneficiaries can call the SASSA toll-free number on 0800 60 10 11 during office hours. – SAnews.gov.za
