South African Social Security Agency Research Articles

DISABILITY GRANTEE DEBATE OVER MISGUIDED DISBURSEMENT PRACTICES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIAL SECURITY AGENCY’S SELECTED PROVINCES

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate and address the challenges faced by disability grantees in South Africa, particularly focusing on the disbursement of disability grants by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). Through qualitative analysis and theoretical frameworks grounded in transformative paradigms, the study aims to understand grantee experiences and perceptions across different provinces. By identifying key issues such as inadequate grant amounts, poor living conditions, and bureaucratic hurdles, the study seeks to provide insights that can inform policy improvements and institutional reforms within SASSA. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance the effectiveness of disability grant disbursement, alleviate poverty, promote economic transformation, empower individuals, and foster sustainable communities in South Africa.
 
 Theoretical framework: This study uses the Theory of Change and Critical Theory to analyze the disability grant disbursement system. Theory of Change (ToC) helps identify change drivers and interventions, while Critical Theory (CT) examines power dynamics and systemic barriers. This comprehensive analysis aims to foster positive change at individual and systemic levels.
 
 Design/Methodology/Approach: This study uses a qualitative research approach, grounded in transformative paradigms, to explore the challenges and opportunities related to disability grant disbursement in South Africa. Participants were selected from three provinces, and data was collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed, and ethical considerations were taken to ensure participant well-being.
 
 Findings: The study reveals the challenges faced by disability grantees in South Africa, including inadequate grant amounts, poor living conditions, lack of support services, system disintegration, financial exploitation, abuse and family dynamics, and bureaucratic processes. These issues highlight the need for policy reforms and institutional interventions to promote social inclusion and economic empowerment, highlighting the systemic issues and injustices inherent in the disability grant disbursement system.
 
 Research, Practical & Social Implications: This study provides insights into disability grant disbursement systems in South Africa, offering theoretical advances and methodological insights. It informs policy recommendations for improving the system, guiding organizational interventions and capacity-building initiatives. The findings also promote social welfare, empowerment of vulnerable populations, and the promotion of social justice, highlighting the importance of addressing these challenges.
 Originality/Value: This study provides a unique perspective on disability grantees in South Africa, integrating Theory of Change and Critical Theory. It conducts a comparative analysis across three provinces, identifying common challenges and contextual factors. The study offers practical implications for policy reform and contributes to the scholarly literature on disability grant disbursement systems.

Ecclesiastico-pastoral care for social security grant holders in South Africa

This article aims to address the gap in research on ecclesiastical and pastoral care for congregational members dependent on government grants from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). It emphasises the impact of the dire socio-economic circumstances of congregants, and the role it plays in the life of the ordained pastor of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa (URCSA), navigating through the dynamics on their daily realities. The primary question addressed is: What amount of care is possible from the side of the church and the pastor to deal with SASSA related problems experienced by congregants? It is based on two types of data: firstly, five semi-structured interviews conducted with five women, three of them mothers who receive a Child Support Grant, and two grandmothers whose teenage daughters receive this grant. A second data set consists of recollections by a pastor who ministers in a community where the only income of most of the inhabitants is SASSA Grant related. Seven stories are told of pastoring needs related to SASSA Grant holders. Applying Narrative Therapy as method, data was analysed and nine themes emerged: (1) The church acknowledging and managing the needs of mothers; (2) the church providing a ‘haven’ for young mothers harassed by the father of the child; (3) pastoring domestic unrest among older grant holders; (4) pastoring congregants who are scammed out of a SASSA Grant; (5) supporting congregants who escape domestic violence through SASSA; (6) the church co-ordinating between significant others; (7) pastoring honour and shame; (8) protecting the elderly; and (9) pastoring conflicting cultural expectations vis-à-vis the SASSA Grant. This article concludes with a summary of and recommendations on ecclesiastico-pastoral care for SASSA Grant holders.Contribution: This article emphasises the importance of a multi-dimensional, non-theoretical approach in providing insight into the reality of ecclesiastical-pastoral care of congregants – care that extends beyond spiritual well-being to the livelihoods of vulnerable communities with various socio-economic needs, particularly those solely dependent on government grants.

Evaluating the effectiveness of a social grant regulating framework in South Africa

Orientation: Fraud and corruption have become a major concern for the South African government. However, the government has made attempts (often futile) to fight the scourge of corruption. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) developed a framework aimed at minimising corruption; nevertheless, loopholes in its anticorruption efforts continue to be an encumbrance.Research purpose: This research sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the Fraud Management and Compliance Department (FMCD) in terms of its role in the prevention, detection, investigation, reporting and resolution of fraud, theft, corruption and maladministration within the SASSA.Motivation for the study: The study was based on public knowledge of the plethora of activities both by civilians and by the SASSA officials that are negatively affecting the SASSA’s achievement of its goals and objectives.Research design, approach and method: The study adopted a qualitative research approach, including 10 participants with whom one-on-one interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used.Main findings: The study mainly uncovered that the Special Investigation Unit, National Prosecuting Authority, South African Police Service and Public Service Commission each play a critical role in investigating corruption, fraud and maladministration within the SASSA, thus contributing to how future fraud situations are handled.Practical/managerial implications: The article recommends the training and development of relevant authorities to enhance the effectiveness of the FMCD within the SASSA.Contribution/value-add: This article contributes to the literature on proposed solutions in effectively diminishing corruption in a South African government entity.

The Care Dependency Grant for children with disabilities in South Africa: Perspectives from implementation officials

ABSTRACT For people with disabilities, appropriate social protection interventions can contribute to breaking the cyclical relationship between poverty and disability and may improve social inclusion. In South Africa, a national social assistance programme provides ‘social grants’ to individuals on the basis of poverty, age, or disability. These grants have been extensively studied but there has been little investigation into the Care Dependency Grant, designed to support the care of children with disabilities. These children consistently have far poorer outcomes on key metrics for wellbeing, health, and education than their non-disabled peers. More attention ought to be focused on uplifting this profoundly marginalised population. We present initial findings from interviews with officials at the South African Social Security Agency, the country’s grants implementation agency. These narratives add weight to the growing local and international consensus that complementary interventions and effective intersectoral collaboration may greatly enhance the impact of cash transfers.

Investigating the entrepreneurial intentions of social grant recipients in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the entrepreneurial intentions of social grant recipients in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane. This study further investigated the extent to which social grants influence the entrepreneurial behaviour of social grant recipients. Design/methodology/approach: A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire randomly targeting social grant recipients at various SAPO branches and SASSA pay-points. To test the hypotheses, the data collected from 401 respondents in the cities of Johannesburg and Tshwane was analysed on the SPSS statistics software (version 25). Findings/results: It was discovered that most of the respondents intended to start a business in the absence of a social grant income. Although SASSA grant holders indicated that they intended to start businesses, 70% of the respondents had no knowledge of any public or private business support initiatives and had not been to any entrepreneurial training sessions offered by the public or private sector. The respondents within the youth age group who indicated interest to start a business also expressed their desire for immediate gratification. Given that an entrepreneurial career requires a long-term vision, persistence and perseverance, this is indicative of a lack of entrepreneurial intensity. Practical implications: In order to increase social grant recipients’ entrepreneurial intentions and possibly reduce the number of youth social grant recipients currently in the system, government stakeholders should include the existing public and private entrepreneurship support initiatives within South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) policies. Originality/value: With the application of quantitative methodologies, this research contributes to an evidence-based debate on the extent to which social grants influence the entrepreneurial behaviour of social grant recipients within the Republic of South Africa.

Determinants of Employee Job Satisfaction in a Public Organisation in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal

This study assesses factors that determined employee job satisfaction at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in the Pietermaritzburg office of the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The intention of this study is to recommend workable strategies and mechanisms that can be considered by SASSA as they enhance their organisational development and employee standards. The two-factor theory of Herzberg was applied to comprehend the motivating issues that might determine the fulfilment and discontentment of workers at work. The case of SASSA is used to fill a gap in the literature regarding work values and to provide lessons that can be learnt by other organisations that aspire to improve employee job satisfaction. In order to respond to the aim of this study, the data was collected and analysed using a mixed research methodology. A purposive sample was drawn from the employees who had interest and understanding of job satisfaction using mainly interviews and questionnaires. The findings that the political and socio-economic factors have a potential to limit SASSA from offering a suitable and viable healthy working environment, hence job satisfaction might not be realised. Even though it was revealed that some employees were dissatisfied with their working conditions, none of them were planning to leave their jobs. The findings of this study contribute towards the understanding of job satisfaction aspects of human resources management.

Utilisation of eye and skin care, and social services among persons with albinism in Ulundi, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Background: Knowledge of the utilisation of eye and skin care, and social services among persons with albinism is essential for planning intervention strategies for this group.Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the utilisation of eye and skin care, and social services among persons with albinism in the Ulundi Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.Setting: The Ulundi Municipality of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Methods: The cross-sectional survey used a questionnaire to collect data from 21 participants living with albinism. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in small peer groups.Results: The participants (n = 21; males 8 and females 13) were aged 4 to 60 years (mean = 24.5 ± 17.9 years). All participants reported that they had their eyes tested within the last two years by an optometrist and none by an ophthalmologist. Almost half (42.9%) had never used a low vision device, this being because of their non-availability (44.4%), financial constraints (33.3%) and lack of or poor awareness (22.2%). Participants reported wearing a wide-brimmed hat (47.6%), a combination of wide-brimmed-hats and sunglasses (33.3%) for eye protection and 19% reported using neither. All the participants reported that they used sunscreen with sun protection factor and 90.5% reported using long-sleeved shirts for skin protection. The majority (81%) of participants reported receiving the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) social (visual disability) grant, with 85.7% knowing where the SASSA offices were located.Conclusion: Despite the poor use of low vision aids, the level of utilisation of eye and skin care, and other social services among participants was good.

Cardless banking in the Nelson Mandela Metropole: A means of financial inclusion for the excluded

Orientation: The growth of mobile phone usage and wireless connection has transformed the manner in which financial services are provided. However, it has failed to increase the accessibility to formal banking facilities for the underbanked population. Research purpose: To determine their perceptions and intentions of cardless banking among underbanked consumers. Motivation for the study: The financial inclusion of underbanked consumers is increasingly important given the current social welfare payment crisis in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: The study made use of a quantitative research approach using surveys to collect data from 175 underbanked consumers. Main findings: The study revealed that underbanked consumers have positive perceptions of the complexity, trialability and compatible advantages of using cardless banking. Practical/managerial implications: Underbanked consumers and social grant beneficiaries should be allowed to try cardless banking before using it to experience its benefits in order to assess how suitable it is to their circumstances without the risk of loss or barriers should they not prefer it. Little to no special training should be required in order to use cardless banking, and it must be easy to explain to their friends and family how it works. Contribution/value-add: Recommendations are made to financial institutions who intend on capturing the underbanked consumer segment, the National Treasury and other governmental institutions who wish to increase financial inclusion to underbanked consumers and especially to South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) when considering an alternative payment method for social grant beneficiaries.

Politics of Mental Healthcare in Post-apartheid South Africa

ABSTRACTRecent events in post-apartheid South Africa have exposed a decidedly political dimension to mental healthcare. This was exemplified in three important cases: the recent grants crisis of the South African Social Security Agency, a court case between the state and non-governmental organisations, and the Life Esidimeni tragedy. These events demonstrate that despite significant policy shifts toward basic human rights and care of people living with mental illness, these cases demonstrate the contradictory elements of macroeconomic and health policy exposed a neoliberal tendency towards providing public mental healthcare. In examining these case, key features emerged, including: the commodification of people living with mental illness, the pertinence of auditing, accounting practices, and dynamics of globalisation, de- and re-nationalisation. This article speaks to a tangible gap in the discourse on mental healthcare in South Africa, by highlighting the political dimensions that are involved under an era of neoliberalism.

THE CUSTODIAL ROLE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT AT PLAY: A Critical Analysis of the Case of Black Sash Trust v Minister of Social Development [2017] ZACC 8

The Constitutional Court, on 17 March 2017 handed down judgment in the case of Black Sash Trust v Minister of Social Development (South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) case). The case dealt with the payment of social grants, which, in accordance with the South African Agency Act, is the responsibility of SASSA.The Court made a number of orders, including an order that “(SASSA) and Cash Paymaster Services (Pty) Limited (CPS) are under a constitutional obligation to ensure payment of social grants to grant beneficiaries from 1 April 2017 until an entity other than CPS is able to do so and that a failure to do so will infringe upon grant beneficiaries’ rights of access to social assistance under section 27(1)(c) of the Constitution.” This order was made despite the fact that 1. There was no valid contract between SASSA and CPS and 2. That CPS is a private entity, which, in the ordinary course of events, is not the primary duty-bearer in so far as human rights are concerned. Indeed, the Court itself conceded that this order pushes at the limits of its exercise of a just and equitable remedial power. A number of interesting legal issues are brought sharply into focus in light of this court order. Firstly, what is the nature and weight of the right to social security? Secondly, could the private entity (CPS) be placed under legal obligation to guarantee the rights entrenched in the Bill of Rights, in particular, where no valid contract exists between a private entity and a state organ? Thirdly, what are the implications of the Court’s order against CPS for the laws of contract? As the SASSA decision was only handed down in March 2017, it has not been unpacked fully. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to critically assess how these questions played out, in particular, how the Constitutional Court, against all odds, played its role as the custodian of the Constitution.It would however, be premature to embark on such detailed discussion without getting to grips with the decision in the SASSA case. For this purpose, the SASSA decision is briefly discussed with a view to setting the stage for the detailed analysis of the issues.

Addressing multi-dimensional child poverty: The experiences of caregivers in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

This paper explores the experiences of caregivers in the Eastern Cape Province regarding the alleviation of child poverty, and presents a case for the expansion of monetary support to effectively address the multi-dimensional focus of child poverty in South Africa. The Social Development Approach (SDA)11Social Development Approach (SDA) addresses the “implementation of policies and programmes to meet needs, promote rights, manage social problems and facilitate maximization of opportunities to achieve social well-being and the promotion of human empowerment and social inclusion” (Patel, 2005). was used together with the Child Focused Multi-dimensional Model (CFMDM)22Child Focused Multi-dimensional Model (CFMDM) is a model that is ‘child focused’ and is relevant to the child's life. It considers the different domains of deprivation, good access to quality services and, at its core, contains the absolute component that is complemented by the relative dimension which is based on the child's ability to participate fully in society and most importantly considers the applicability for different age groups. to explore the research problem. A phenomenological research design was followed by conducting semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion with 20 participants who were purposively drawn from four urban and rural areas in the Eastern Cape. The findings concur with the view that the Child Support Grant (CSG)33Child Support Grant (CSG) is a non-contributory cash transfer programme paid to caregivers with children under the age of 18years who meet the minimum requirements of the South African Social Security Agency (2016a, 2016b). monetary support should be increased to better accommodate the multi-dimensional child poverty needs of the CSG recipients.

REASONS THAT DETER QUALIFYING PRIMARY CAREGIVERS FROM APPLYING FOR CHILD SUPPORT GRANTS

The Child Support Grant (CSG) came about as a strategy to address child poverty in South Africa, granted to caregivers that care for children up to the age of eighteen years. In 2012, the number of children aged up to 18 years receiving the CSG stood at 11 306 024, an increase from 800 476 in 2001. Despite amending the Social Assistance Act, 2004 (Act 13 of 2004), and numerous marketing campaigns conducted by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) since 2009 in the Northern Cape Region, SASSA struggles to meet the annual projected targets for CSG intakes.An empirical study to investigate the reasons that deter primary caregivers from applying for child support was conducted in the Northern Cape. In this study, it was hypothesised that amending the criteria for CSG will increase the number of qualifying primary caregivers applying for the CSG, and assist the Frances Baard District Municipality in achieving the annual projected targets.

Probing strategy-project alignment: The case of the South African Social Security Agency

Public institutions, such as the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) increasingly function in multi-project environments to translate strategies successfully into service-delivery initiatives. However, this ‘projectification’ often causes projects to be designed and executed haphazardly. This can lead to budget and schedule overruns, and the general wastage of an organisation’s resources. Project failures often occur where organisations do not ensure that specific projects are aligned with their core strategies. The purpose of this article is to combine the theories and principles of organisation, management, strategic management, and project management in an effort to pinpoint core determinants that can help establish the extent to which an organisation manages the alignment of its strategic projects. In the present study, the author applied the principles of interdisciplinarity, systems thinking, and organisational integration. The combined core determinants that were uncovered were then used in an empirical investigation of SASSA. The purpose of this investigation is to identify particular challenges the organisation faces in aligning their strategies and projects successfully. Thereafter, a number of recommendations follow to address these challenges.

Insecurity in South African Social Security: An Examination of Social Grant Deductions, Cancellations, and Waiting

In 2012, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) contracted a private company, Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), to design a standardised national social assistance payment and registration system. The national card-based biometric enrolment and payment system was advanced as a way to make social grant payment more secure – for claimants, the state, and the national fiscus. In practice, however, it translated into forms of insecurity, which served to promote and reproduce precarity. This article considers some of these insecurities, with a focus on the three most pervasive: the cancellation of grants, the expansive, unauthorised monetary deductions from claimants’ accounts, and the new kinds of waiting that the system introduced.

Childhood disability population-based surveillance: Assessment of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Edition and Washington Group on Disability Statistics/UNICEF module on child functioning in a rural setting in South Africa.

BackgroundEpidemiological information on childhood disability provides the basis for a country to plan, implement and manage the provision of health, educational and social services for these vulnerable children. There is, however, currently no population-based surveillance instrument that is compatible with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), internationally comparable, methodologically sound and comprehensively researched, to identify children under 5 years of age who are living with disability in South Africa and internationally. We conducted a descriptive pilot study to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of translated versions of the Ages and Stages Questionnaire Third Edition (ASQ-III) and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics/UNICEF module on child functioning (WG/UNICEF module) as parent-reported measures. The aim of our study was to identify early childhood disabilities in children aged 24–48 months in a rural area of South Africa, to determine the appropriateness of these instruments for population-based surveillance in similar contexts internationally.MethodsThis study was conducted in the Xhariep District of the Free State Province in central South Africa, with 50 carers whose children were registered on the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) database as recipients of a grant for one of the following: Care Dependency, Child Support or Foster Care. The researchers, assisted by community healthcare workers and SASSA staff members, conducted structured interviews using forward–backward translated versions of the ASQ-III and the WG/UNICEF module.ResultsBoth measurement instruments had a clinically meaningful sensitivity of 60.0%, high specificity of 95.6% for the ASQ-III and 84.4% for the WG/UNICEF module, and the two instruments agreed moderately (Kappa = 0.6).ConclusionSince the WG/UNICEF module is quicker to administer, easier to understand and based on the ICF, it can be considered as an appropriate parent-reported measure for large-scale, population-based as well as smaller, community-specific contexts. It is, however, recommended that future research and development continues with the WG/UNICEF module to enhance its conceptual equivalence for larger-scale, population-based studies in South Africa and internationally.

'Flaws' in public procurement not synonymous with 'irregularities': a guide to determining irregularities that are sufficient to invalidate a contract

Public procurement process has to inter alia comply with the principles of fairness and transparency. If it does not comply with one of the principles mentioned above, an aggrieved person may challenge the award of that tender on the grounds that there was an act of irregularity in the award of the tender. It is in this context that the Supreme Court of Appeal (the SCA) decision in Allpay Consolidated Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd and others v Chief Executive Officer of the South African Social Security Agency and others1 2013 (4) SA 557 (SCA) is evaluated. The paper argues that non-compliance with a tender regulation, regardless of the degree of non-compliance, renders the award of the tender invalid. Therefore, the SCA erred in holding that a “procurement process should not be invalidated for minor, inconsequential flaws”.

Mostly warnings for welfare staff who stole/squandered R70 million

Most of 116 social service staffers involved in a variety of scams and irregular tenders that cost R70 million and caused suffering for thousands of intended beneficiaries were ‘reprimanded and served letters of warning’ before controls were tightened. Revealing this last month, Social Development Minister Edna Molewa admitted that irregular expenditure and fraud by staff saw the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) notch up losses of more than R70 million during the 2008/09 financial year. Two officials were dismissed, two resigned (leading to criminal charges being withdrawn), one was suspended for three months without pay and two were facing trial. On the advice of SASSA’s financial misconduct board, the remainder were reprimanded and served with letters of warning. The bulk of the loss was due to irregular expenditure of more than R69m, incurred by officials failing to follow proper tendering procedures. This was discovered and probed during the previous financial year, but reported during 2008/09. Molewa said internal controls had been strengthened to prevent future incidents, and as a result irregular expenditure for the 2009/10 financial year was cut down to R2.5m. Fraud at SASSA’s regional offices and one case at its headquarters involved an amount of R1.08m, with 15 officials from head office and the Western, Northern and Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo implicated in a variety of swindles.