Overview
- Social Development Minister Dina Pule visited SASSA offices in Khayelitsha and Bellville and told reporters she was overwhelmed by the large numbers of people queuing for monthly grants.
- SASSA confirmed it withheld payments for over 7,000 beneficiaries in the Northern Cape after those individuals did not attend the agency's annual grant review.
- The annual grant review is a routine verification exercise that requires beneficiaries to update information so SASSA can confirm continued eligibility for social grants.
- SASSA and the Department of Social Development are urging affected recipients to update their details with the agency to restore suspended payments and avoid further interruption.
- Long waits and payment suspensions risk immediate hardship for households that rely on monthly grants, and the minister's visit signals political attention but no system-wide fix has been announced.