The month long extension for South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) beneficiaries to mandatory switch from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) gold cards to new Postbank black cards is not enough.

The agency announced on Friday that the new deadline was moved to March 20, but pensioners and political parties fear it will not be enough time to accommodate those still struggling to change their cards.

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Solly Malatsi, and Minister of Social Development, Nokuzola Tolashe, indicated that while grants will be paid beyond the new deadline, the funds would need to accessed through the Post Office branches if pensioners do not have the new cards.

"To make sure that we are able to assist beneficiaries to swap their cards as efficiently as possible, our departments and entities are working together to add more human capacity and are working with retailers to increase the number of sites across the country. Mobile offices will also be dispatched to focus on rural areas and to ensure that we assist as many people as possible," they said.

But Elna Bantjes from Pietermaritzburg said the extension will not sort the problem as millions of people have not been helped.

"There is no way they will be able to change everyone by March 20. This process is a nightmare. They can't expect elderly people to stand in long lines. There is no separation between old age pensioners and recipients of disability or child support. I took my 86-year-old mother to get the new card and she could not be helped. She's fragile and uses a walker. We waited in long queues only to be told that she could not be helped because she has an old ID. This is despite the fact that she already receives a SASSA grant.

"We were able to open a bank account for my mum with that ID, yet the SASSA official says they can't use that ID. My mother relies on the grant to support herself. We are now forced to go back to try and resolve the problem," said Bantjes.

Issa Mabuza, 29, from Inchanga, who is hearing impaired said he was unable to get the card from Shoprite in Pinetown.

"I don’t think the extension is enough. If they add more staff, maybe around 10 people, the process could be much faster. But if they only keep two staff members, they won’t finish helping everyone in time. Many elderly people are already exhausted from standing in long lines. They should have considered the needs of all beneficiaries from the start, especially the elderly who can’t stand for long periods.

"I was extremely disappointed with the poor system in place. It would be much better if people could replace their cards at an office instead of waiting in unsafe conditions outside Shoprite. As a deaf person, I also found it confusing to figure out where to stand in line. Even when I asked security for help, I didn’t get a clear answer. I emailed both SASSA and Postbank, but they never responded,“ said Mabuza.

He said he relied on the grant for his monthly expenses and would have to return to the Pinetown branch again this week, for the third time, and hopefully obtain the card.

Patrick Naidoo, 76, from Sunford in Phoenix, said after his third attempt he was able to get his card at the Boxer store at the Phoenix Plaza this week.

"There are long lines at this store every day. When I got there at 5am there were already about 200 people waiting. They opened at 7.45am and only two SASSA agents were assisting hundreds of people. People are being given tickets to return. It took me three days to eventually get the card.

"I feel sorry for people still without the card because there is no way they will make the deadline. If there are only two agents at every outlet they will not be able to assist everyone by March 20," said Naidoo.

An 88-year-old Durban North woman, who did not want to be named, said the whole process was a "hell of a nuisance".

"People, like myself, were under the impression we could go to any Checkers or Pick n Pay store, which is not the case. I rely on this pension," said the woman.

Earlier this week the Portfolio Committee on Social Development raised concerns about the shortage of card renewal sites, which has resulted in long queues and delays.

The committee was concerned that not all the 28 million grant beneficiaries will be migrated before the deadline.

SASSA's media relations senior manager, Andile Tshona, said just over a million people have migrated so far.

In KwaZulu-Natal, as of February 12 there were about 39 card issuing sites.

Tshona added that the process has been underway since September and there has been constant communication including stakeholder engagements.

Alexandra Abrahams, the DA's deputy spokesperson on Social Development, believed the extension of barely a month is insufficient.

"The extension also fails to address the deeper, systemic issues impacting social grant beneficiaries nationwide. The truth is that this deadline extension, which is just weeks away, will do little to ease the considerable frustrations, confusion, and access barriers many beneficiaries encounter.

“While SASSA now claims that beneficiaries without Postbank black cards will have access to their grants at Post Offices, Post Offices across the country are closing down and many rural communities have no nearby Post Offices any more. How are these beneficiaries meant to access their grants? SASSA is simply throwing them to the wolves," said Abrahams.

Dereleen James, ActionSA MP, said they were deeply concerned by the chaotic and poorly managed transition of SASSA payment cards unfolding across the country, which has left millions of vulnerable beneficiaries, particularly the elderly, stranded in long, standstill queues.

"Worryingly, reports of pensioners fainting after waiting for hours in the scorching heat, enduring overcrowded retail stores, and facing system failures that cause unnecessary delays are clear signs that this transition is being mishandled," said James.

Sunday Tribune