Mense wat buite slaap en SASSA-hulp

“THIS is the fourth time I’m sleeping out here.”

These were the words of unemployed father Leon Faro as he and other vulnerable Kaapse mense faced the chill on Monday night to queue for assistance at the SASSA Local Office in Bellville.

He was among dozens of elderly and disabled individuals who spent the night on cardboard covered with plastic, blankets, and layers of clothing, hoping to secure access to disability grants.

The first person in line arrived at 5am on Monday morning. 

Faro shared his story, displaying his swollen hands due to his disability, saying: Kyk my hande. Ek kannie werk’ie. 

“I’ve been trying for three months with no assistance. They keep telling me to return with different documents.”

After coming back with his documents and updated banking details, he stated: “If I don’t get help tomorrow (Tuesday), then I don’t know what I will do.”

As he spoke to the Daily Voice after 7pm on Monday night, he added: Ek het al hier geslaap. Dis my vierde keer nou.”

A woman from Elsies River remarked: “We need to sleep over a day ahead just to receive help. It happens like this every day.”

“The issue is we are not guaranteed assistance; otherwise, we have to sleep outside again. It’s a significant problem.”

A man mentioned he walked ten hours from Mfuleni to Bellville, despite having screws in his legs from surviving a car accident three years prior.

The oom expressed: “We are risking our lives by sleeping outside, but what other options do we have? There’s no guarantee of receiving help.”

“We face issues with toilets since we have to walk to the garage and pay R5 to use the facilities, and it’s late. The men have to accompany the women for safety.”