POLL | Do you accept ministers Zulu and Gungubele’s apology over grants saga?

After a week of hardship endured by thousands of social grant beneficiaries, communications and digital technologies minister Mondli Gungubele and social development minister Lindiwe Zulu have offered “sincerest apologies” for delays in payments this month.

South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants for elderly recipients were supposed to be paid last Tuesday and disability grants last Wednesday, but 600,000 beneficiaries did not receive payments because of technical difficulties experienced by Postbank.     

Briefing the media after more than a week since the payment delays started, Gungubele apologised to beneficiaries who struggled for days to get their grants.

“The two departments [communications and social development] and their agencies share the pain of beneficiaries, in this case the elderly and persons with disabilities who solely depend on the provision for their daily livelihoods.” 

The management of Postbank could not guarantee social grant beneficiaries would not experience delayed payments again.

Postbank CEO Nikki Mbengashe said the delays were caused by an “upgrade” in the payment system services the bank made this month. The upgrade, however, did not perform as planned and 600,000 beneficiaries’ payments were declined on payday.   

“It was not the first change we have made. It just so happened this one did not happen as planned. There were relevant tests done. 

“We have a commitment as executives of the bank to ensure something like this does not happen again, but with my experience at the bank and having managed IT, things like this do happen. I cannot stand here with an understanding of how technology works and say 100% something like this will never happen again,” Mbengashe said. 

She said the only commitment she could make was that the bank would work hard to prevent payment system failure. 

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