Some of the desperate South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries are still without their money after almost two weeks of not receiving their payment.
Thousands of them across the country have been unable to access their money, and post offices are turning them back.
This follows Postbank payment technical glitches that resulted in beneficiaries not receiving their money.
However, speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday, Communications Minister Mondli Gungubele said that officials were working around the clock to ensure that social grant beneficiaries are not affected by payment delays experienced this month.
He apologised to the beneficiaries and said they understood the regrettable strain that the grant payment challenges have brought to them.
This is despite him saying that the welfare grant distributor, Postbank, has resolved its technical glitches and the funds are readily available in their accounts.
"According to their records, all SASSA Grant beneficiaries whose accounts were adversely affected by these system challenges on September 5 and 6 have now been corrected.
"These funds are readily available in the accounts of these beneficiaries and, if not withdrawn, can be accessed through bank ATMs, retailers, and Post Office branches," he said.
This was a second media briefing to update the public about the social grant payments.
He assured the beneficiaries as well as the nation that the changes in the Postbank Board would not have an impact on any of our banking operations or the capacity of the Postbank.
The ministry has appointed Khayalethu Ngema as Postbank Administrator until a new board is appointed.
Furthermore, Gungubele shot down reports that circulated on social media that misrepresented the root cause of the Postbank system challenges.
Some of the reports claimed that some of the beneficiaries would not receive full pay for their money.
"We want to place it on record that these stories are false and generally fabricated," he clarified.
He also urged us to ignore the false information that the September payments challenges are a result of the expired Sassa card.
"The Reserve Bank has granted an extension for the Sassa cards to continue to work until December 2023, so beneficiaries can continue to use the same cards," he said.
He also indicated that the ministries will continue to work together to ensure that beneficiaries receive their money.
kamogelo.moichela@inl.co.za
IOL