The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked the Northern Cape MEC of Social Development, Nontobeko Vilakazi, to urgently explain the disruption in the migration of SASSA Gold Cards to Postbank Black Cards, as observed during oversight inspections conducted at card issuing sites in Kimberley yesterday.
Card transitioning apparently came to a halt last week, with the process only due to be reinstated after the deadline in May this year. This contradicts information about the migration process, as shared on the department’s Facebook page.
This is concerning as 35% of social grant beneficiaries in the Northern Cape must still transition to the new card. The close to 20 000 beneficiaries who have yet to receive their Postbank Black Cards, are now at risk of traveling long distances to Postbank sites to swop their cards, only to be told that this cannot currently be done. This includes 13 000 of the province’s 36 526 Child Support grant beneficiaries.
Officials at card issuing sites inspected by the DA said they are only doing maintenance-related activities at present. These include reissuing Black Cards to beneficiaries who have lost them and assisting with PIN resets for those experiencing technical issues. While Gold Cards remain valid until the end of May, beneficiaries who lose their Gold Cards are not being issued with Black Cards and are instead being assisted through cardless payment applications.
The DA further notes with concern the department’s confirmation that the limited number of Postbank sites in the province is affecting the successful transitioning of beneficiaries. This is aggravated by poor coordination and communication between stakeholders, leaving beneficiaries unaware of changes to deadlines and procedures.
The DA has submitted a letter to MEC Vilakazi querying the halting of the card migration process at certain Northern Cape card issuing sites. We will also continue to monitor progress made in each district, especially where card issuing sites have yet to be set up.