‘Voucher’-seekers sabotage SASSA Roodepoort
Some believe vouchers were promised by the ANC, others call it a government handout.
Fistfights broke out in queues at the Roodepoort SASSA offices where certain ‘voucher’-seekers have been sabotaging residents that are there on usual SASSA-business.
The record has been bombarded with phonecalls over not being able to either obtain, replace or use their cards at Roodepoort’s SASSA offices since Wednesday 30 April.
By the majority of the conversations it became clear that two things are sabotaging service delivery to them — the fact that crowds of people have been arriving and demanding ‘vouchers’ from the office and that the office has responded by simply closing its doors, refusing to help anyone.
The record investigated on Monday afternoon 5 May.
From conversations with both customers and voucher-seekers no clear answer as to who promised the vouchers could be obtained. A lot of voucher-seekers believe it to be an ANC-driven campaign, whereas others believed that SASSA is handing out such vouchers of its own accord. For the most part, each seeker has heard the rumour of vouchers from either a family member or a fellow seeker. These vouchers are said to be handed out every day at the Roodepoort office specifically until the end of July.
An elderly Witpoortjie resident was disgusted at the scene and left because she was convinced that she would not be able to replace her SASSA-card, that was stolen during a hijacking, before end July. Another resident of Roodepoort CBD has made a return visit in hopes of obtaining a voucher every day since Wednesday.
“I’ve heard that some people have been sleeping outside of the offices, hoping to be the first in line for the voucher the next morning.
“An ANC-member decided to make up a list [of voucher-seekers] to ease the process of getting them, but no one has been able to get into the office since Wednesday.
“An ANC official arrived on the scene today and entered the office — when he came out, he confirmed that they’ll only be helping us from Thursday, so I left.”
The resident said that the voucher is allegedly worth R1 300, and is similar to an alleged cash handout of R930 that was given just before the previous national elections.
Neither ANC councilor Willie van der Schyf or DA councilor Gert Niemand had any knowledge of the vouchers upon questioning.
“It is definitely not an ANC-driven thing, I don’t carry any knowledge of it at present,” said Van der Schyff, while Niemand said “there are no food parcels being handed out”.
“SASSA themselves contacted me about the chaos, that peaked on Friday afternoon, and I simply told them to carry on with the legal processes and services as normal.
“I don’t know of any such handout from government, but have also heard that it is an ANC-driven political campaign every year before elections.”
SASSA communications officer Steve Mabona also carried no knowledge of the situation at the Roodepoort office, but said that “there are no vouchers, only social grants, and there are requirements and a process in order to obtain that”.
He requested that a list of questions regarding the Roodepoort office situation be sent to him.
