The Rep 9 October 2020

4 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: mjekulal@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 9 October 2020 THE R E P R ES E N TAT I V E
Villagers feel brunt at pay point
Pensioners up from 1am to travel to get grants
LUVUYO MJEKULA
Elderly government grant
recipients from villages
around Komani are
pleading with the South African
Social Security Agency (Sassa)
to revert to the old payment
system so they do not have to
travel long distances to receive
their money.
“We wake up at 1 or 2am.
We don’t even drink coffee or
tea. We are hungry now.”
These were the words of a
68-year-old mother queuing at a
government grant paypoint at
the Thobi Kula Indoor Sports
Centre in Komani on Monday.
She had travelled about
50km to the paypoint at a cost of
R30, and the same would apply
when she had to return home.
“I stay in Didimana, Hewu.
“I got here at 2am. It is now
just before 8am and they have
not opened. Look at the queue,”
she said at the time. She wants
Sassa to deliver the grants at
their villages.
The mother said she was
speaking on behalf of many of
the other pensioners in the
snaking queue.
She added: “We are robbed
– criminals take our money.”
A 67-year-old pensioner
from Jojweni Village said he had
arrived in Komani at 4am.
“I have to persevere because
I need the money,” he said.
“We left Rhodana in Lady
Frere at 3am and are now sitting
here waiting to get our pay.
“I don’t even know if we will
get it. Last month, some did not
get it and went back with empty
paraffin bottles.
“We have little hope
because sometimes they have
electricity cuts here,” said a 79-
year-old mother.
A 62-year-old man from
Kamastone, who arrived at 4am,
said: “This is killing us.”
Reacting to the pensioners’
pleas, Sassa’s spokesperson in
the Eastern Cape, Luzuko Qina,
said the agency encouraged
recipients not to wake up in the
early hours of the morning to
start queining for their grants.
“Sassa has made provision to
ensure that all beneficiaries
receive their grants on the set
dates by staggering payments.
“Monthly social grant
payments begin ordinarily on
the third working day of the
month with old persons grants
[including linked grants],
followed by disability grant
payments on the second day of
payment, and lastly children’s
grants on the third day.
“Cash payments start on the
next day from the children’s
grants, which take place at
designated paypoints.
“The staggering of payment
days has seen, among others, all
QUEUING PRESSURES: Elderly residents wait in a long queue for their old age grants at the
Thobi Kula Indoor Sports Centre on Monday morning : Picture: LUVUYO MJEKULA
beneficiaries per grant type paid
timeously and social distancing
adhered to in order to manage
the spread of C ov i d - 1 9 .
“Our outlets are providing
basic needs during these
payment days like water, chairs
and sanitisers etc. “Beneficiaries
have a choice to receive their
grants either at cash paypoints
or at the outlets including
merchants, banks and autoteller
machines,” Qina said.
“Business hours are adjusted
at outlets to afford beneficiaries
due time to access their grants.”
“Beneficiaries are
encouraged not to subject
themselves to any form of
criminality that will endanger
their lives and/or livelihood.”
Local trust determined
to help with food relief
GRATEFUL: Ayanda Ncinane (third from right) of the Ayanda Ncinane Foundation recently
donated 54 pairs of school shoes at his former school, Emzi Junior Secondary. There to accept
the shoes were, from left, parent Bulelani Mahlati, school governing body member Nosebenzile
Zinto, principal Nozuko Madikane, Ncinane and parents Swalati Taliwe and Nonkosi Sondlo
Mangaliso Picture: ZINTLE BOBELO
Donation of shoes
brings relief to Emzi
junior school pupils
ABONGILE
S O L U N D WA N A
The Molteno and Sterkstroom
Community Development Trust
(MSCDT) stepped in to bring
food relief in Sterkstroom
r e c e n t l y.
MSCDT community liaison
officer Abulele Frans said about
7,500 food parcels were
purchased and the food reached
every household in Sterkstroom.
They planned to do the same
for Molteno residents on
October 12.
MSCDT is a community trust
set up for the Dorper Wind
Farm, an independent power
producer (IPP) located between
the two towns.
It was formed in 2012 prior
to the development of the wind
farm, during the tender process
for the renewable energy IPP
procurement programme for the
then department of energy.
“Through the IPP, MSCDT
has a commitment to support
the communities of Molteno
and Sterkstroom with various
social economic development
projects.
“As part of this tender, the
department wants local
communities (within a 50km
radius of the IPP) to have some
shares in the IPP. This trust was
established to distribute that
shareholding income to
Molteno and Sterkstroom
c o m m u n i t i e s ,” he said.
Frans added that MSCDT
was managed by seven trustees;
one of them from Dorper Wind
Farm as the project holder
company.
“MSCDT took a resolution to
support the community with
food parcels in collaboration
with Dorper Wind Farm which
contributed to assist
communities through difficult
times. The food was supplied by
one of our service providers,
Lunchbox Fund, which supplied
early childhood development
centres with nutritious food.
“Molteno and Sterkstroom
are small towns faced by a high
rate of unemployment and
p ove r t y,” he said.
Frans said in May MSCDT
distributed food to some
vulnerable households, but it
was difficult to leave out others
who needed support.
“This time, MSCDT took a
resolution to donate to every
single household in both
c o m m u n i t i e s .”
Their set target was reached
in Sterkstroom, with the
assistance of Zakwantu Projects
and Services.
“This would not be possible
without the assistance of local
community vehicle owners,
helpers and the census workers
who all worked hard to help
their community,” said Frans.
Frans added that MSCDT
sought to improve the quality of
life of residents as effective
community development
resulted in mutual benefit and a
shared responsibility.
ZINTLE BOBELO
Former Emzi Junior Secondary
School scholar Ayanda Ncinane
recalled his days at the Cacadubased
school when he made a
donation of 54 pairs of school
shoes and other items on
Heritage Day.
Ncinane said he had to leave
school when he was in Standard
3 (now grade 5) because he had
no shoes. His visit was aimed at
assisting young people to ensure
that they did not go through
similar experiences. Through his
organisation, the Ayanda
Ncinane Foundation, he has
made countless donations
towards education and had
adopted Emzi JSS as a
beneficiary of the foundation.
Pointing at his village, a
distance from the institution,
Ncinane said he used to walk to
school in freezing cold weather
every day and had vowed that
no child would experience the
same struggle.
“My past experience was
one of the reasons I formed this
foundation. As long as I am still
here, no child at this school will
struggle or be in need. I will try
and give them the little I have.
“We are here to restore the
dignity of black children and to
say they are not alone. Leaders
came out of this school. We are
here to bring hope and
encourage parents to show their
full support,” he said.
A principal by profession,
Ncinane said he had the official
donation for winter, but there
had been delays due to Covid-
19 lockdown restrictions.
Noeven Khanyiso, an elderly
woman who could not contain
her gratitude, said the majority
of grandparents were raising
grandchildren in the area which
came with its own challenges.
“We have children in Cape
Town and other big cities trying
to make a living. Matters
sometimes force us to send
them our social grant money
because we do not want them to
suffer and end up being victims
of abuse and murder.
“We are forced to take from
our own old age pension grants
to ensure that our grandchildren
get a proper education because
we do not want them to end up
like us. You (Ncinane) have no
idea what difference this
(donation) has made in our
l ive s ,” said Khanyiso.
On behalf of the pupils,
Sesethu Mtana said: “We are
thankful and happy to know that
there are people who are
keeping us in their thoughts and
not forgetting where they came
from. We are happy to know
that someone realised we are in
need of such support. Some
pupils did not have school
shoes, but this donation has
brought relief.”
Principal Nozuko Madikane
acknowledged parents and
guests, highlighting that
although the school was
situated in a deep rural area, it
would reach greater heights
with support from the
c o m m u n i t y.
HELPING HANDS: Molteno and Sterkstroom Community Development Trust brought food
relief to Sterkstroom families recently Picture: SUPPLIED