Residents of Sithabathaba Village in Tlokoeng benefited from an Integrated Community Registration Outreach Programme (ICROP) led by the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Ward 14.
The outreach, held at Khanya Senior Secondary School, brought several government departments and financial institutions together to provide services directly to the community. Among those participating were the Department of Home Affairs, Department of Employment and Labour, National Development Agency, Department of Health, as well as banks such as Absa Bank, First National Bank, Standard Bank and EasyPay.
SASSA Eastern Cape Regional Executive Manager Bandile Maqetuka said the programme aims to bring services closer to rural communities and ensure that people who qualify for social grants can access them easily. He also warned residents against loan sharks who confiscate SASSA cards and urged the community to report cases of grant abuse.
Community members used the opportunity to raise concerns about poor service delivery, including lack of clean water, damaged roads and unreliable electricity. Women’s representative Lungiswa Nkaleseng also highlighted the challenges faced by women and children in the area.
During the outreach, SASSA donated school uniforms to 34 learners from Hlanganisa Public School.
The ICROP initiative is part of ongoing efforts by SASSA to improve access to government services in rural areas, with plans to eventually move services to a new multi-purpose centre in the community. Residents welcomed the programme and expressed appreciation for the services being brought closer to them.
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