The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has formally expressed profound outrage regarding a developing humanitarian crisis at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) office in Bellville, Cape Town.
According to the ATM, vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and person living with disabilities, have been forced to sleep outside these government offices in freezing winter conditions simply to secure access to social assistance.
A struggle for dignity
Reports indicate that dozens of applicants have resorted to sleeping on cardboard boxes, covered only by blankets and plastic sheets, in a desperate attempt to maintain their place in the queue for disability grant services. One applicant, Mr Leon Faro, noted that he had been compelled to sleep outside the office on four occasions while trying to resolve issues concerning his disability grant.
Furthermore, the situation is exacerbated by a significant backlog of approximately 7,200 lapsed disability grant cases at the Bellville office, with some individuals arriving as early as 05:00 on Monday mornings without any guarantee of being assisted.
Call for administrative reform
In a formal letter to the Acting Minister of Social Development, Sindisiwe Chikunga, the ATM has characterised this situation as an unacceptable assault on human dignity and a failure of public administration. To address these systemic issues, the ATM has proposed several urgent interventions.
The proposed interventions include conducting an immediate operational review of the Bellville office to identify the causes of the backlog and the implementation of a clear, measurable reduction plan for disability grant applications, renewals, and reassessments. The ATM also calls for the deployment of additional personnel to high-pressure offices and the establishment of dedicated service channels to ensure that no vulnerable person is forced to sleep outside.
Finally, the party advocates for the implementation of a reliable appointment and case-management system, alongside the enforcement of reasonable turnaround standards for grant services, supported by regular public performance reporting. The ATM emphasises that the state must act with urgency to restore efficiency and dignity to the administration of social assistance.