LETTER: Blame ANC incompetence and cadre deployment for Postbank crisis

SASSA CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele and Postbank CEO Ntomboxolo Nikki Mbengashe during a recent press briefing to update the public on Postbank and SASSA matters relating to late payments. Picture: Jacques Naude / African News Agency (ANA)

SASSA CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele and Postbank CEO Ntomboxolo Nikki Mbengashe during a recent press briefing to update the public on Postbank and SASSA matters relating to late payments. Picture: Jacques Naude / African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 23, 2023

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The minister social development, Sassa and the Postbank CEO should hang their heads in shame following the failure to pay social grant payments because of the technical glitches at Post Bank.

The department and Post Bank misled the nation when they said the technical glitches were resolved and every grant recipient would receive their payments from Monday. I continue to receive messages and calls from vulnerable beneficiaries who have not received their money despite standing in long queues for hours.

Others, who shopped for groceries, were turned away at the till because there were insufficient funds in their accounts.

We call on the minister to take full responsibility for her department’s poor show. It is sad and unacceptable – that after assurances were given as early as Thursday last week, that the technical glitches that led to especially older persons not receiving their grants on the due date – many people still have not received their grants.

When I visited, there were scenes of chaos at various post offices, pay points and retail outlets, with beneficiaries’ grant accounts showing zero balances.

This is yet another indication of how the ANC-led government is neglecting the poorest people.

This is how ANC incompetence and cadre deployment have crippled our state-owned entities, and the poor are the victims.

This is a betrayal of the millions of the poorest of the poor the ANC claims to represent.

This is a clarion call to all South Africans to register to vote, so they can remove the uncaring government wamasela (of thieves) in 2024.

We are appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa to address this as a matter of urgency.

ANC ayikhathali

* Thulani Dasa (DA Activist), Khayelitsha

* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.

Cape Argus

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