BENEFICIARIES in KwaZulu-Natal have been urged to collect their money at ATMs and retailers as post office branches in the province are reportedly running low on cash reserves.
Postbank spokesperson Dr Bongani Diako said social grant beneficiaries in KwaZulu-Natal who were due to be paid their social grants starting from today, were advised to make their way to ATMs and various retailers to get their money.
Diako said beneficiaries could make their way to any Boxer, Pick n Pay, Shoprite or USave instead of the post office branches.
The spokesperson said the reason was because many of the branches in the province anticipated that they would not have sufficient cash in store as a result of cash delivery delays.
"The Sassa gold cards operate like any other bank card and can be used to make cash withdrawals from any bank ATM. The cards can also be used to make withdrawals over the till inside retail stores as well as in-store purchases."
Diako said although the offices did not have enough cash, they would still be open and operational to assist social grant beneficiaries with Sassa non-cash services such as PIN resets.
The latest setback comes after the Department of Social Development faced an immense backlash after a system error at Postbank delayed the payment of social grants for thousands of South Africans for days in September.
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele, whose department Postbank falls under, in apologising for the delays stressed that "system errors" and poor governance by the Postbank board that resigned on Wednesday had resulted in the failures.
Gungubele added that 500 000 of the 600 000 affected recipients had received their grants in full.