By Sihle Mavuso
An internal report that was compiled by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has revealed that early this year, the Raisethorpe/Allandale Local Office in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands could not service grants for almost a month due to technical glitches.
The report also found that the same office failed to prioritise pregnant women and the elderly, as most public offices are required to do.
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The fact-finding mission was launched after it was widely reported in April this year that desperate grant recipients spent days and nights sleeping outside offices to get help. That was after most of them showed up every morning only to be told that the system was down.
The management of SASSA then conducted a fact-finding mission after KwaZulu-Natal activist Thabiso Zulu wrote to MP Bridget Masango, the chairperson of the Social Development Portfolio Committee, to make her aware of the plight of the vulnerable grant applicants.
In its report to Masango, which was seen by Inside Politics, the fact-finding mission found that between 01 and 30 April 2026, the Raisethorpe Local Office experienced significant operational disruption due to system downtime. During this period, an estimated 33 hours and 20 minutes of service time was lost.
The team also found that the office may have experienced an estimated service loss or delay of approximately 365 applications or transactions. These included new grant applications, grant reviews, social relief of distress enquiries, banking detail changes, reconsiderations, and beneficiary status updates.
“Customer communication is inadequate, particularly regarding system downtime and service delays. Elderly customers and customers with newborn babies are not prioritised or fast-tracked during the intake process. Some customers are turned away daily without being assisted. Some customers reported visiting the office five to six times before receiving assistance,” reads the report.
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The report said among the issues that contributed to this were high walk-in volumes and a large backlog of review work increasing queue pressure, particularly during peak periods, and inconsistent queue control and sub-optimal use of the Queue Management System ticketing process that leads to uneven service flow and limited visibility of daily throughput.
“These factors collectively increase waiting times, contribute to customers leaving without assistance, and heighten reputational risk to SASSA through further complaints and media escalation,” the report further said.
To stabilise the office, SASSA removed the head of the office, and he “will receive further capacitation.”
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