South Africa’s social grant payment system is under threat, as the Sassa grant agency struggles to cope with its new responsibilities.
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has been plagued by problems since taking over from the South African Post Office (SAPO) in 2014. The agency has been under scrutiny for its failures to pay grants on time, and for the disappearance of R1 billion in funds.
There are also concerns that political interference could be contributing to the problems at Sassa. In 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa called for a probe into allegations that Sassa had been used as a “slush fund” by former president Jacob Zuma. Now, President Ramaphosa has asked Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate whether Zuma or his allies interfered with grants payments during his tenure.
What is South Africa’s social grant system?
“Sassa”, which stands for “South African Social Security Agency”, was created in 2005 to take over from the “Post Office”. This change was intended to improve services and increase efficiency at the agency. However, despite a R1 billion investment and a new name, Sassa continues to struggle with delivering social grants on time.
“Grants”, or “social grants”, are payments made by government to people who qualify based on their income level. These include pensions for elderly people and disabled people, child support grants paid out each month per child, and foster care grants paid out monthly per child in foster care.
Why did Sassa decline?
“Sassa”, which stands for “South African Social Security Agency”, was created in 2005 to take over from the “Post Office”. This change was intended to improve services and increase efficiency at the agency. However, despite a R1 billion investment and a new name, Sassa continues to struggle with delivering social grants on time.
