Black Sash Archives - Voice of the Cape

SASSA faces backlash after underspending R4 billion on SRD grants

By Ragheema Mclean The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is under fire after the Auditor-General revealed it had underspent by R4 billion on Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grants during the 2022/23 financial year. Last week, the Auditor-General presented these findings to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development in Parliament. Senior Audit Manager at the Auditor-General’s office Puleng Molapo attributed the underspending to a lower uptake of the SRD […]

17 September 2024

Local

Black Sash ‘not impressed’ with R20 increase to R350 grant

By Ragheema Mclean Human rights organization Black Sash has called on the government to adjust social grants to ensure that basic needs of its recipients are met. This comes after, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a R20 increase in the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant from R350 to R370. Speaking on VOC Breakfast on Friday, Black Sash advocacy manager Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker expressed disappointment with the R20 increase, highlighting the […]

15 March 2024

Local

Black Sash urges SASSA and DSD to implement mechanisms that ensure timely grant payments

By Ragheema Mclean The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is facing a crisis as it is alleged that around 150,000 beneficiaries have been affected by recent payment delays. These payment delays meant that thousands of financially vulnerable people did not receive any financial support for the first month of the year. Sassa has attributed the payment challenges to discrepancies in grant beneficiary details and verification delays. The agency explained: “The ID number […]

15 January 2024

Local

SASSA’s repeated failure to pay social grants inexcusable, says Black Sash

Human rights organisation Black Sash said it expects an even more difficult January for social grant beneficiaries as the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has skipped out on payments, again. It's understood that 150,000 social grant beneficiaries did not receive their SASSA grant payments in January. The agency has blamed the latest payment glitch on verification delays, with SASSA now expected to make double payments next month. In 2023, […]

14 January 2024

News

Black Sash takes legal action to overturn new SRD grant regulations

By: Aneeqa du Plessis Human rights advocacy group, the Black Sash Trust, is taking government to court over the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant regulations. Black Sash, alongside other humanitarian organizations, approached the Pretoria High Court to challenge the Department of Social Development’s “means test” for applicants applying for the grant. According to the means test, anyone receiving an income above R350, will not qualify for the grant. The […]

28 June 2022

News

Rights group slams SASSA over grant provisions during lockdown

Black Sash says its gravely concerned that the conditions at some SASSA and Post office branches could further the spread of COVID-19 to vulnerable communities. Yesterday, was the first social grant payment cycle since South Africa’s 21-day nationwide lockdown came into effect. Yesterday, the majority of grant beneficiaries were left without any protective measures while waiting for hours in long and congested queues. Black Sash national manager Hoodah Abrahams-Fayker believes […]

31 March 2020

Local

Black Sash continues fight for grant recipients

The NGO, Black Sash says it will continue fighting for the rights of the poor following the ruling of the High Court in Pretoria which allows deductions from social grants recipients. The court ruled that amendments to regulations governing the payment of social grants should not prevent deductions from being made from beneficiaries' bank accounts. Black Sash has described the judgment as victory for Net 1 and its subsidiaries. National […]

11 May 2017

Local

CPS and Sassa ordered to continue paying grants

Sassa and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) must continue paying social grants until another entity which can do so is found, the Constitutional Court ruled on Friday. The declaration of the invalidity of the previous contract between the SA Social Security Agency and CPS would be suspended for 12 months, Justice Johan Froneman read from the order. The terms and conditions in the previous contract would continue to apply. Social Development Minister Bathabile […]

17 March 2017

Local

ConCourt to hand down Sassa judgment

The Constitutional Court will hand down the much anticipated judgment in the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) matter on Friday. The judgment is expected to be handed down at 10:00. On Wednesday the court heard an application by the Black Sash for an order that it exercise supervisory jurisdiction over any new contract to pay social grants and its implementation. During the hearings, a frustrated Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng […]

17 March 2017

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