ELSIES RIVER
B u r g e r E-pos: tyger@dieburger.com
Woensdag 11 April 2012
Tel: 021 910 6500
Faks: 021 910 6501
) Pensioners slept outside waiting for payouts
Elderly blamed for chaos Pensioners are still fuming after the payout chaos in the area last week. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) seems to be blaming pensioners, parents and caregivers for the recent mayhem in the pay-out of social grants. Both the minister of social development Bathabile Dlamini and Sassa CEO Virginia Petersen have repeatedly given assurances that the re-registration of beneficiaries necessitated by the changeover to the Cash Paymaster System would not disrupt grant payments. Sassa now admits that “several system glitches” delayed the payment of grants since 2 April. In the Elsies River and Ravensmead areas, community worker Ricardo Speelman went around to some of the pay points to witness some of the chaos that the pensioners were experiencing. He reported that he was horrified at what he witnessed. “How could anybody treat our seniors like this,” he said. “Everybody was very angry because the registration for the new payment system only started on Monday 2 April when people started arriving at payout points. “Some of the people even ended up sleeping outside these centres in an effort to be helped early on the Tuesday, but they still had to wait long to be helped. “Why did they not start the process before the pay day,” he asked. Speelman pointed out that these long delays for the seniors caused health problems for them while they were waiting to be helped. “These pensioners had to stand outside all the time, and you can imagine the problems that was caused for them where their health was concerned. “Some of them ended up going to the nearest day hospital or clinic, seven of them had to be taken away by ambulance, and even there they had to wait to be helped, as they lost their place in the pension line,” he said. . To page 3.
Pensioners in Elsies River complain about the chaos that reigned at payout points across the community last week.
Halt Rd, Elsies River Tel: 021 931 1207
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ELSIES RIVER KOO Baked Beans 410g
5
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Kelloggs Corn Flakes 500g
49
each
22
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Visit our instore bakery, deli, hot foods & fresh produce
99
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Savemor Dog Food 8Kg
52
R
99
each
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Elsies River trading hours: 08:00 - 20:00 08:00 - 21:00
5
R
99
ELECTRICITY & BILL PAYMENTS AVAILABLE IN STORE Sun - Thurs Fri - Sat
D’Lite 500g
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES • SALE STARTS 11 APRIL - 15 APRIL 2012