By Staff Writer.

• ⁠SASSA CEO, Mr Themba Matlou, has expressed satisfaction with the social grant review processes and overall operations at offices in the North West province.
• His visit focused on identifying and resolving operational bottlenecks, reviewing progress in biometric enrolment, and ensuring smooth August grant payments.
• The oversight visit also provided an opportunity to engage directly with beneficiaries and staff, addressing service delivery concerns on the ground.

The Chief Executive Officer of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Mr Themba Matlou, has completed a week-long oversight visit to the North West province to monitor service delivery and grant review processes. Matlou expressed satisfaction with the social grants review processes and overall operations at local SASSA offices in the North West province.

Matlou, accompanied by his executive team, visited the province to assess and monitor service delivery while addressing challenges that could hinder efficient service to beneficiaries. The oversight visit began on Tuesday, 5 August, with stops at Boxer and Shoprite retail stores and the Ramotshere Local Office in Zeerust, where he monitored grant payments and assessed progress in the Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment Pilot.

On Wednesday, 6 August, he continued to Mahikeng where he met with staff from SASSA offices across the province and engaged media representatives. The visit concluded on Thursday, 7 August, at the Mahikeng Local Office, where he personally assisted beneficiaries facing service delivery challenges.

“In my visit to North West, I did not pick up any serious issues and our beneficiaries received their grants without any hindrances, and our staff has been on top of their game, including the merchants. We are satisfied by what we found, and we seem to have overcome the teething problems that we experienced in the last few months,” said Matlou.

He confirmed that the few beneficiaries who had not received their grants had come to the offices for review and were assisted promptly, adding that SASSA systems are steadily improving. Of the 1,200 beneficiaries flagged in Mahikeng, 700 responded and visited local offices for reviews.

“Out of the 700 people who came for reviews in Mahikeng, we found that 69 people are working and no longer qualify to receive a grant. This is a significant number that has burdened our system, and we are happy with the progress being made. We are starting to find the culprits through our functioning systems and the dedication shown by our staff members at local offices,” he said.

Matlou urged the public, particularly SASSA beneficiaries, to remain calm as the review process continues, stressing that it is designed to eliminate fraudulent activity and ensure that only eligible individuals receive grants, thus safeguarding public funds.