In a joint press release, the Ministers of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, and Social Development Nokuzola Tolashe, announced that the deadline for Sassa beneficiaries to replace their gold cards with black Postbank ones has been extended to March 20. This move aims to alleviate the concerns and frustrations of social grant beneficiaries who were struggling to meet the initial February 28 deadline.
The extension comes as a relief to many, particularly the elderly, who were worried about the long waiting periods in queues before being assisted. To address this issue, the departments and their entities are working together to increase personnel and processing sites across the country. They are also collaborating with retailers like Checkers, Usave, Boxer, Pick n Pay, and Shoprite to facilitate the conversion process.
Additionally, mobile offices will be dispatched to focus on rural areas, ensuring that as many people as possible are assisted. This move is expected to benefit thousands of grant beneficiaries living in rural areas who were previously left without accessible options.
The Western Cape Government has welcomed the extension, but emphasized the need for more service points, particularly in rural areas. The government has also offered to assist in communicating the schedule of mobile units to ensure that no resident is left behind in the process.
With the new deadline, Sassa beneficiaries are encouraged to make the necessary changes as soon as possible to avoid any disruptions to their grant payments.
