On Tuesday morning, August 13, elderly residents and others seeking support from Sassa were left outside in the cold at the Athlone Sassa offices in Cape Town. The office doors were locked due to a strike by security guards.
The guards, who manage the queues at the Sassa office, went on strike because they claimed their employer owed them money. This unexpected strike caused frustration for many Sassa clients, especially those who had arrived early to avoid long lines.
The situation was made worse by cold and rainy weather. Residents were upset that Sassa closed its doors simply because the security guards were not present.
Gogo Precious Mazotsho, 69, from Gugulethu, said she came to Athlone because the Gugulethu Sassa office is always crowded. She wanted to address an issue with her foster grandchild’s social grant, which had not been received for two months. “I still think Sassa workers should have helped us. It was easy, they should have taken people in batches. Take for example 10 people and close the door. When done take another batch, it was that simple but they chose the easy way out,” Mazotsho said.
Another resident, Nomonde Mlunjwa, expressed her frustration, saying she had borrowed money to go to the Sassa office. “We’ve been sitting out here in the cold and rain. The workers are not interested in helping us. Some of us had to borrow money just for us to get here,” Mlunjwa said.
Annelize Bester, the Acting Regional Executive Manager for Sassa in the Western Cape,they are aware of the strike. She added that a contingency plan was put in place, and the Athlone office reopened on Wednesday.
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