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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Western Cape notes the planned visits by the Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe, to South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) offices in Mfuleni and Delft on the 7th and 9th of January, respectively. While the DA welcomes any effort to address the systemic failures in SASSA’s operations, we hope these visits will result in real answers and tangible solutions, rather than being a mere political stunt timed to coincide with the ANC’s birthday celebrations in Khayelitsha.

The DA has conducted unannounced oversight visits to SASSA offices, exposing the harsh realities faced by vulnerable residents. From long queues to poorly resourced offices, these challenges have persisted for years without meaningful intervention. The Minister claims these visits are part of her outreach programme to raise awareness about services in her social development portfolio. However, we have been raising awareness for months.

Issues faced at SASSA offices include:

Staff shortages: Persistent vacancies in senior positions and an overreliance on acting staff have crippled operations.

Card migration issues: The transition from gold SASSA cards to black Postbank cards has created widespread confusion and disruption, with only six active card replacement sites in the Western Cape.

Excessive queues: Beneficiaries are subjected to long waiting times due to poor communication, inefficient systems, and the absence of digital application support at the community level.

Fraud and exploitation: Reports of fraud, such as a recent case in Malmesbury, and individuals selling queue spaces further exploit vulnerable beneficiaries.

Infrastructure challenges: Many SASSA offices remain under-resourced, with critical infrastructure issues left unresolved.

The DA also demands clarity on the suspension of SASSA’s CEO, Ms. Busisiwe Memela-Khambula, and the alarms raised by the Public Protector regarding governance concerns. These unanswered questions are central to the dysfunction at SASSA and cannot be ignored.

The DA has consistently raised these issues over the years, calling for systemic reform to ensure that SASSA can deliver efficient and dignified services to beneficiaries. It is unacceptable for these ongoing failures to be ignored, only to resurface when it serves political convenience.

The Minister must demonstrate genuine leadership by addressing these long-standing issues comprehensively. The suffering of South Africans cannot and should not be used as a prop during the ANC’s birthday celebrations.

Issued by Wendy Kaizer-Philander MPP - DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development