Four heavily armed robbers attempted to rob a SASSA paypoint in Bonteheuwel on Thursday morning. They however disarmed the cash in transit guards of two firearms. The paypoint is next to a municipality building housing municipality police who responded immediately upon being informed.

No cash was taken from the paypoint and the robbers fled upon noticing that the police were advancing. Operations were suspended for four hours and payment has now resumed.

“Extra cash vans were deployed to ensure that the backlog created can be dispensed with and beneficiaries can get their money as quickly as possible,” said SASSA spokesperson Kgomoco Diseko.

“The regional manager of SASSA, Bandile Maqetuka will be on site until everybody is paid and to deal with any eventualities, but at the moment, no injuries were reported, fortunately.”

Diseko appealed to the public to assist the police in tracking criminals targeting SASSA beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, there remains public uncertainty as to whether SASSA will be able to pay out social grants from 1 April 2017 when its contract with Cash Paymaster Services is terminated. SASSA and Social development Minister Bathabile Dlamini have plans to enter into a new agreement with CPS, a bone of contention for opposition parties.

Dlamini had been summoned to appear before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Tuesday, but did not pitch up. She also was not present at a portfolio committee on social development meeting on the same issue on Wednesday.

The Cabinet will discuss the pending Sassa social grants crisis with all affected parties next week, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said on Thursday. VOC