Overview
- The protest that took place Monday outside SASSA’s Beacon Valley office in Mitchells Plain drew more than 200 pensioners led by Pensioners of South Africa demanding at least R5,000 a month.
- SASSA responded by backing peaceful protest, urging beneficiaries to use official channels for engagement, and stressing that only government and Treasury can change grant values.
- The agency said videos promoting pickets were shared by a well-known TikTok creator and that ongoing beneficiary verification and anti-fraud work have affected some payments.
- Protesters described long queues that start before dawn, exposure to weather while waiting, frozen payments tied to investigations or system changes, and difficulty finding clear information about benefits.
- More than 18 million people rely on social grants as inflation and high unemployment shrink purchasing power, and provincial support programmes offer limited relief without changes to national grant policy.