An elderly Limpopo woman in Sekhukhune district collapsed while in a long queue to collect her South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grant at Moutse Mall on Wednesday.
Mariah Mathabatha, 85, from Ntwane village in Denilton outside Groblersdal, had multiple illnesses. She was not supposed to stand in the queue due to her age and medical conditions.
She was taken to a Philadelphia hospital about 10km away from the paypoint by a private vehicle but was pronounced dead on arrival.
The pensioner was also epileptic, so her niece John Mathabatha claims that this was not the first time the woman had collapsed.
Rude Sassa employees
Pensioners have been complaining about lengthy wait times, offline systems, and grant payment delays for Sassa card holders.
Mathabatha said when they arrived at the payment point, his aunt informed the Sassa employees that she was not feeling well but was rudely told to have patience.
“It was clear that my aunt was not feeling well. She was begging to be assisted by the Sassa staffers but were impolite,” said Mathabatha.
“Even when we returned to the paypoint, we were still subjected to the same treatment.”
Sassa provincial spokesperson, Tebogo Tshipi, said the pensioner’s death was heartbreaking and an unfortunate incident.
“We have dispatched our team to investigate what really happened. As Sassa, we prioritise our beneficiaries and work tirelessly to make sure that they easily access their grants,” said Tshipi.
“We also like to send our condolences to the family of the elderly woman who lost her life.”
Complaints fell on deaf ears
Seun Mogotji, the leader of the Bolshevik Party of South Africa, said she complained about the long queues to Sassa officials in Limpopo, but his plea fell on deaf ears.
Mogotji said: “These long queues have been a problem for our pensioners, and they are not taken seriously.
“The old system of having paypoints in villages was far better and more efficient. They were closer and pensioners could walk there, get their money, and walk back home.
“The local economy also benefitted because small businesspeople sold many items at paypoints, thus putting bread on the table since jobs are so scarce.”
Mogotji continued: “But our government had to change everything for reasons known only to them, and pensioners are being subjected to standing in long queues while many of them have chronic diseases and can’t stand on their feet for longer periods.
“Something drastic must be done. The government must rethink this system they are using and take the pension payouts closer to the elderly.
“Having to take taxis to get their pension grants is not practical, and it exposes the elderly to dangers of being robbed of their money. Sassa should bring back the old system.”
