Community Partner

Social Justice Coalition

The SJC works to advance the constitutional rights to life, dignity, equality, freedom and safety in the lives of all people, but especially those living in informal settlements in South Africa.

Founded on 16 June 2008, the SJC is a membership-based social movement from Khayelitsha made up of 14 branches with over 2500 members who mainly live in informal settlements. Our campaigns are based on research, education, and advocacy and divided across two programmes.

The Safety and Justice Programme campaigns for improved policing and an effective criminal justice system, while the Local Government Programme leads our work on sanitation and basic services, municipal budget justice, and social audits.

1 October 2016 - 30 November 2016 View results

SASSA Paypoint - Citizen

SASSA Pay Point: Khayelitsha Site C, New Hall

Key Challenges Identified
  1. EPE bank account: closing of the account and obtaining a SASSA account
  2. Grant deductions: SASSA help desk at pay points for assistance with queries
  3. More frequent public information sessions by SASSA
  4. SASSA officials to wear uniforms & name tags to differentiate between CPS & SASSA staff
  5. Security and officials to stop asking for money

1 October 2016 - 30 November 2016 View results

SASSA Service Office - Citizen

SASSA Service Office: Khayelitsha Site B

Key Challenges Identified
  1. Regulation 11 – awareness raising
  2. Staff uniform & name tags (SASSA is weary of fraud in the area)
  3. Queue management: no priority to elderly, pregnant women & disabled; limiting the number of people served per day regardless of the fact that some people have been waiting since 6am; all staff take lunch simultaneously & people are not served during this time.
  4. Grant application process & means test – in particular for mothers applying for CSG, being told to look for the father & to provide proof from Dept of labour those fathers are unemployed. SASSA manager assured this is NOT allowed. This will be monitored and cases will be referred to manager.
  5. EPE account, loan & funeral cover: major concern was the resulting indebtedness. SASSA must assist beneficiaries with the cancellation of the account. Some participants acknowledged that they took loans and received these cards. A significant number of beneficiaries reported that they are stuck with the card though they never received the loan.