Ms BRIDGET MASANGO - COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CONCLUDES SUCCESSFUL OVERSIGHT VISIT IN KWAZULU-NATAL Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

Audio by Chairperson of PC on Social Development - COMMITTEE HEARS SEVERE CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY ELDERLY Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

KwaZulu-Natal oversight visit to SASSA Regional Office - Chairperson of the PC on Social Development, Ms Bridget Masango Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has noted the termination of the Master Service Agreement (MSA) between the South African Post Office (SAPO) and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) at the end of September 2025. SASSA has informed the committee that the resources that were allocated to the Postbank for the infrastructure on mobile cash withdrawal services will now be used to roll-out its digitisation of its business processes, including the biometric verification of all new grant applications that will commence on 1 September 2025. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development urges South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold card beneficiaries who were not able to migrate to the Postbank black to apply to a bank of their choice in order to receive their social grants. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development urges South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold card beneficiaries who could not migrate to the Postbank black card to use the available Postbank cardless services while waiting to transition to the new cards. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development commends whistleblowers who continue to inform law enforcement agencies about the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) officials suspected of fraud. The South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested four SASSA officials at the Johannesburg local office in Gauteng on Friday, 14 March 2025, after receiving a tip-off from whistleblowers. Friday’s arrest follows the arrest of three SASSA officials at the Idutywa local office in the Eastern Cape at the beginning of March. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has called Postbank to account on the slow card replacement process, from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold cards to the Postbank black cards. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development welcomes the findings of the investigation conducted on the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) application and payment system administered by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Parliament of the Republic of South Africa

The committee believes that the deadline for the validity of the SASSA Gold Cards should be extended in conjunction with a properly resourced and statistically improved rollout plan for the Postbank Black Cards. Extending the deadline without an improved rollout plan will prolong beneficiaries' frustration and panic. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa