MARTIN Nethule (48), from Sabie outside Graskop, Mpumalanga, is fighting to receive his social grant after the Post Office allegedly blocked his Sassa card.
Post Office Blocked Sassa Card After Suspected Fraud
In January 2022, Martin was previously removed from the Sassa system, disqualifying him from receiving a monthly mental illness grant.
Home Affairs mysteriously issued a death certificate in his name, declaring him dead.In January 2023, Home Affairs and Sassa resolved the issue.In addition to being put back on the Sassa system, he received a back payment for the 12 months he did not receive his grant.
After receiving a clearance letter from Sassa, Martin could go to the local Post Office in Sabie to receive the back payment and the following monthly payments.His angry sister Thulisile Mona told Daily Sun that the Sabie Post Office would not be able to pay him the R27 000 at once since it has only a R5 000 daily withdrawal limit.
She said the Post Office officials told him to withdraw R5 000 daily until the back payment was cleared.Martin only managed to withdraw R15 000 in small amounts from retail shops via the cashback system before his card was blocked.
Thulisile said they were angry with the Post Office because no one cared about her brother’s problem. We are very angry at what the Post Office staff did to my brother. We are appealing for help because the Post Office staff is very rude and uninterested in helping him.She said that her brother is now unable to receive the remaining R12 000 from his R27 000 back payment, as well as his monthly disability grant.
According to Post Office spokesperson Johan Kruger, many Sassa beneficiaries are vulnerable and for their protection, Sassa cards have a withdrawal limit of R5000 per day.
As a result of attempts to withdraw more than R5 000 in one day from several withdrawal points, Postbank blocked the card. “I have already spoken with the area manager, asking him to intervene,” he said. Customers should visit their nearest Post Office with their ID and Sassa card to get their card unblocked.
