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EXPRESS NORTHERN CAPE, WEDNESDAY 13 MARCH 2013
NEWS
Volunteers not happy } Boipelo Mere
SOPHIE MOLUSI wearing her green Sassa marshal's apron and holding her achiever award certificate and certificates of appreciation that she had received over the years as a volunteer. Photo: Boipelo Mere
“GOD sees those who sit in their comfortable offices and cannot even say hello or thank you to those who had put them there,” said a bitter Sophie Molusi from Kimberley. For more than 15 years Molusi has been a member of the volunteer services team at pension pay-points. She had hopes for a better future because Nelson Mandela, who was president at the time, strove for a better life for all. But all she received were an achiever award certificate dated 1998, and four certificates of appreciation that she had received in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, and a green marshal's apron for her to look presentable in in the eyes of the public. “I started volunteering at pension centres when Makhulupas was still the pay-point where we would get a stipend. “All that changed when Sassa came into being, and our own black people took charge. That’s when the ‘elkeen vir homself en God vir ons almal’ attitude befell us. “Even the little food we received was taken from us,” said Molusi.
Steve Mokalane, another volunteer, said that they were a registered volunteer committee. “We even compiled a business plan that was approved by CPS to render voluntary services at pay-points and even went for training. “It is so sad that from a group of 35 members we have dwindled since some of our members have passed away without seeing a solution to our problem,” said Mokalane, who is the vice chairperson of the volunteer committee. “The most astonishing part of the story is that we are required to sign in and out, and provide our ID numbers for every shift. “This makes us suspicious that they are possibly claiming pay with our registers. We know that corruption like this is possible.” Molusi said they were being treated like they were nothing by officials who sat in their offices, always holding a cellphone and car keys and in a hurry to go somewhere. “In 2011 we (pay-point volunteers) were invited to a meeting for the first time where we were presented with aprons with Sassa and CPS logos on them. “That was when they bought us something to eat and drink and informed us that government had allocated money for us. “The Sassa officials told us that the money was not enough to pay us and therefore they had decided to buy us these aprons so that we could look presentable in the eyes of the public,” said the woman furiously. “We love doing this job and feel that it is in the best interest of our elders. We risk our health and safety to go to work only to be treated like nothing. “The pensioners even knock on our doors after hours to seek clarity regard-
ing their payment. “Some of them do not even trust the officials at pay-points and prefer that we assist them,” she said. The team said they had attended a meeting with Sassa, which was requested by them. “For the three-hour meeting with two Sassa officials there were food and drinks. “Something they could not afford for those of us who worked on an empty stomach in the field,” they complained. Sassa clarified their relationship and position regarding the pay-point volunteers in the Northern Cape. They will not pay the volunteers. Even though Sassa stated that they appreciated the services of the volunteers, they reminded them that they came forth on their own to volunteer their services free of charge, based on the spirit of ubuntu. This came after Express Northern Cape made an enquiry on behalf of the volunteers who had complained that they had not been getting a stipend from Sassa. The agency also clarified that it did not need to employ staff for queue marshalling as they were only needed on a few payment days and were then idle for the rest of the month. The agency said that the register was for internal control purposes and to determine whether all members were present or available at the pay-points during the payment days, as well as to determine the size of the volunteer group in relation to the capacity of the hall and the number of beneficiaries per paypoint. Sassa pointed out that maybe after the re-registration of the new cards, the issue of stipends and other matters might be revisited.
NC still has no premier } Boipelo Mere
IT is still not clear who the next premier of the Northern Cape will be. The ANC provincial office still remains tight-lipped as to who will step up or step down. Grizelda Cjiekella, the MEC for Education, has been temporarily filling the position since the premier, Hazel Jenkins, GRIZELDA MEC collapsed in Febru- CJIEKELLA, for Education, is ary last year. The announce- still is still holding ment failed to materi- the fort. Photo: Boipelo Mere alise during a 30minute house sitting on 26 February, just two days before the State of the Province Address delivered by Cjiekella on 1 March. Although correspondence came through Mpho Masina, the spokesperson in the speaker’s office, that there would be no swearing in of members during a special house sitting at the legislature, journalists, ANC alliance partners, NGO’s and opposition parties filled the public gallery in anticipation that the announcement would take place during the sitting. Masina created suspicion when she announced that something important was going to be announced. Rumours are rife that Luthuli House chose the MEC for Nature Conservation, Sylvia Lucas, who is also the provincial deputy chairperson of the Women’s League to fill the position, but that the choice was rebuffed by the provincial executive committee. Opposition sources later revealed that Hazel Jenkins had refused to resign due to internal ANC fighting and unhappiness in the ANC concerning the appointment. Strangely enough, the rumours about Jenkins’s refusal to step down surfaced just after Lucas’s name was mentioned. According to an internal source, Lucas was chosen by the ANC national executive committee weeks after her name and that of Cjiekella and Pauline Williams, MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, had been submitted to Luthuli House. The provincial office said they would let the media know during an enquiry concerning the appointment of the new premier.