Not only do SASSA beneficiaries have the constant worry of being paid on time – a rare occurrence – and often have to endure quite inhumane circumstances when visiting SASSA offices for assistance, three SASSA offices in Mpumalanga, Gauteng and the Northern Cape have now gone on strike due to unaddressed systemic issues, further hampering service delivery to vulnerable South Africans.
From information the DA received, it seems that staff at the regional SASSA office in Mbombela, Mpumalanga are at their wits end with a senior manager in the Human Capital Management department and have been on strike for nearly a month. It is alleged that complaints to the CEO regarding this manager go uninvestigated. There are also allegations of this senior manager possibly endangering the lives of personnel and SASSA beneficiaries by bringing a gun onto the premises.
The SASSA offices in the Northern Cape seem to be under siege from disgruntled officials that have vandalised the premises with feaces and garbage.
And now the SASSA Soshanguve office is striking as well.
It is high time the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, took charge of her Department and SASSA and once and for all sorted out its systemic chaos. Otherwise she might not survive the next Cabinet shuffle.
It is truly despairing that a Department that should have been characterised by compassion is consistently noted for its callousness.