The Social Development Department and South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) yesterday announced that social grants will be only be paid next Monday, because April 1 falls on a Saturday.
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini “would like to reassure all qualifying beneficiaries that they will receive their money as per normal”, the department said in a statement.
“As recipients of social grants are aware our payments are made at various channels, including merchants, points of sale, banks, ATMs and Sassa pay points.”
However, because April 1 was a Saturday, Sassa pay points would not open, as in all occasions when the grants payments date fell over a weekend.
On April 3, Sassa pay points would operate as normal and recipients were encouraged to go on their respective days to pay points as indicated on the slips they received last month.
Teams of managers would also be deployed to provide assistance at the pay points, the department said.
Arrangements had been made to ensure that the social pensions system Socpen was available for investigation and verification of the status of the grants applications; and a letter to the national police commissioner had been sent out for a request to increase police visibility across the country.
Dlamini again apologised for the anxiety and fear caused about the uncertainty around the payment of social grants.
The Sassa call centre would be opened on Saturday to aid beneficiary enquiries on contact number 0800 60 10 11.