“We came to the Post Office and they said there was no money” 11 January 2023 | By Marecia Damons On Friday, Postbank acknowledged that a glitch had prevented many social grant recipients from accessing their January 2023 payments. Postbank said the issue had been resolved. But GroundUp visited a Cape Town payment branch on Tuesday and found several beneficiaries had still not...

The short answer You can call a family meeting or approach an organisation that helps families having marital problems. The whole question Dear Athalie Why does SASSA count your spouse's income when you apply for the disability grant if your spouse doesn't help look after you with that income? The long answer As SASSA is a means-tested organisation, declaring your spouse’s income is a legal...

The short answer You can phone their hotline but you will probably have better luck if you get help from a non-government organisation. The whole question Dear Athalie I have been trying to get a birth certificate for my 5-year-old son since 2019 but Home Affairs still hasn't granted me an interview. Every time I go to the office to ask if there...

The short answer You could make a sworn affidavit explaining your circumstances, but you may need legal help. The whole question Dear Athalie How can my 19-year-old brother get a birth certificate when he has no proof of birth (he was born at home), his father's whereabouts are unknown, our late mother did not have an ID? My mother's death certificate is handwritten,...

Meanwhile, many R350 grant beneficiaries have been waiting months for their payments By Marecia Damons Many people who rely on the R350 Social Relief of Distress grant say they have been waiting for months for their payments. SASSA has acknowledged the backlog in payments. Social Development minister Lindiwe Zulu has proposed that the income threshold for SRD applicants be raised from...

Equal Education members demand Eastern Cape education MEC intervene By Johnnie Isaac Scores of learners and Equal Education members donned their school uniforms on Wednesday and marched to the Eastern Cape Department of Education in Zwelitsha. They are opposed to proposed amendments to minimum norms and standards for public school infrastructure. Under the new draft amendments, deadlines have been removed for when government must...

Hundreds of thousands of Zimbabweans living in South Africa may find themselves undocumented on 1 January 2023. The Helen Suzman Foundation is trying to stop this. By Tania Broughton The Helen Suzman Foundation is taking the Minister of Home Affairs to court to set aside government’s decision to terminate the Zimbabwean Exemption Permit (ZEP) at the end of the year. About...

Social protection provides a lifeline but it’s not enough, say researchers By Marecia Damons The Black Sash has called on the government to set up a task team to work out how to increase the R350-a-month Covid Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to the food poverty line of R624. Speaking at the launch of a research report on social protection, Black Sash national director...

Since lockdown asylum seekers and refugees have been denied crucial services By Tariro Washinyira Refugees and asylum seekers are facing a myriad of problems because Home Affairs has not provided crucial in-person services for two years. Despite a blanket extension of permits various government departments and private sector facilities are not accepting valid documents, not even some Home Affairs officers. There...

The short answer "Voluntary donations" at no-fee schools are encouraged but not compulsory. The whole question Dear Athalie My child's school is charging R300 per learner for the security of the school. This is a no-fee school. Are they allowed to charge us for this? The long answer The South African Schools Act states that no public school in any quintile may charge any registration,...