The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Eastern Cape plans to migrate all grant beneficiaries, who currently receive payments at cash pay points, many in rural villages, to electronic banking by March.In a presentation to the Eastern Cape legislature’s portfolio committee on social development this week, Sassa’s Eastern Cape acting regional executive manager, Zanoxolo Mpeta, said the move had come as a result of an increase in cash-in-transit heists as well as capacity challenges at the Post Office.
The murder of three women postal employees who were travelling in the Flagstaff area paying social grants to local villages on Monday has triggered a public outcry, with community leaders accusing the post office of providing inadequate security.