Scores of residents from around Buffalo City Metro were yesterday turned away without proof of address documents last week after the municipality stopped issuing them.
A poster had been put outside the entrance of the City Hall informing residents that they were to get their proof of residence from their councillor’s office or from ward committee members.
A security guard told dozens of people yesterday that the service was stopped on Friday last week.
However, irate residents who had travelled from various villages said they had not been informed about the changes. Dora Mthathi, 75, from Tsholomnqa cannot change her social grant money to her bank account without proof of address, which she needed to get yesterday.
“I waited in a long queue at Sassa and I was told to come and get my proof of address here. Now this security guard is telling me that I can’t get it from the municipality.
“I will have to go back to the village to look for the councillor. I do not even know who they are but maybe the headman will help me.”
In the hour the Daily Dispatch was there, between 9am and 10am, over 50 people were turned away.
Mthathi said she’d been getting her proof of address document from the city central office for years.
“I do not understand how they did not even tell us about these changes. People from the village are always ignored. We have to struggle to get even the basic services.”
Her words were echoed by Themba Boso, 72, from Ncera village. “I do not know why they make us to struggle so much. We have to go up and down this city and go home without having done what we came here to do. This is required at Sassa. I do not have money to travel every day for this.
“I woke up very early to come and do this and now everything is held back by this proof of address. Our councillors need to be closer to the people and communicate these things with us instead of sitting in their offices in fancy clothes.”
Siphokazi Yawathe from Amalinda said the document was required by her new employer.
“I just got a new job and they want my proof of address. We are being told that we won’t get it here. This is the first time I am hearing this.
“They just posted the message on the door but they could have gone to our communities with a loud hailer and informed us.”
Abongile Dyasophu from Mdantsane could not renew his driver’s licence yesterday. “I have to go back to Mdantsane for this and this is not fair on us. They should have informed people through the available media platforms that they have stopped issuing the proof of address here so that we do not come to town for nothing.”
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the office of the chief whip had issued a letter to all the ward councillors on April 11 informing councillors that the service would be rendered in their respective wards as from May.
“The letter advised each ward councillor to inform his or her community about the matter. It is expected that the ward councillors have done as advised. Furthermore, notices were posted in King William’s Town and East London offices.”
Explaining why the city had stopped issuing the document Ngwenya said: “We identified some papers which were fraudulently issued to residents for loans.
“Therefore, referring these services to ward councillors is an attempt to eliminate those chances of fraudulent activities.”
Long journey, queue – for nix
A poster had been put outside the entrance of the City Hall informing residents that they were to get their proof of residence from their councillor’s office or from ward committee members.
A security guard told dozens of people yesterday that the service was stopped on Friday last week.
However, irate residents who had travelled from various villages said they had not been informed about the changes. Dora Mthathi, 75, from Tsholomnqa cannot change her social grant money to her bank account without proof of address, which she needed to get yesterday.
“I waited in a long queue at Sassa and I was told to come and get my proof of address here. Now this security guard is telling me that I can’t get it from the municipality.
“I will have to go back to the village to look for the councillor. I do not even know who they are but maybe the headman will help me.”
In the hour the Daily Dispatch was there, between 9am and 10am, over 50 people were turned away.
Mthathi said she’d been getting her proof of address document from the city central office for years.
“I do not understand how they did not even tell us about these changes. People from the village are always ignored. We have to struggle to get even the basic services.”
Her words were echoed by Themba Boso, 72, from Ncera village. “I do not know why they make us to struggle so much. We have to go up and down this city and go home without having done what we came here to do. This is required at Sassa. I do not have money to travel every day for this.
“I woke up very early to come and do this and now everything is held back by this proof of address. Our councillors need to be closer to the people and communicate these things with us instead of sitting in their offices in fancy clothes.”
Siphokazi Yawathe from Amalinda said the document was required by her new employer.
“I just got a new job and they want my proof of address. We are being told that we won’t get it here. This is the first time I am hearing this.
“They just posted the message on the door but they could have gone to our communities with a loud hailer and informed us.”
Abongile Dyasophu from Mdantsane could not renew his driver’s licence yesterday. “I have to go back to Mdantsane for this and this is not fair on us. They should have informed people through the available media platforms that they have stopped issuing the proof of address here so that we do not come to town for nothing.”
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the office of the chief whip had issued a letter to all the ward councillors on April 11 informing councillors that the service would be rendered in their respective wards as from May.
“The letter advised each ward councillor to inform his or her community about the matter. It is expected that the ward councillors have done as advised. Furthermore, notices were posted in King William’s Town and East London offices.”
Explaining why the city had stopped issuing the document Ngwenya said: “We identified some papers which were fraudulently issued to residents for loans.
“Therefore, referring these services to ward councillors is an attempt to eliminate those chances of fraudulent activities.”
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