At a local butchery they were handing out tissue instead of masks.
The Social security agency’s decision to pay grants earlier is in response to the State of National Disaster, as announced by President Ramaphosa on 15 March 2020.
Grant beneficiaries collecting their grants were supposed to observe good hygiene by washing hands and social distancing protocols by maintaining 1 metre distance from each other or more. But this was not the case at the Vanderbijlpark Post Office. By 07.30 the queue was already long as pensioners waited to receive their social grants. The queue started at the entrance door until around the building behind the police Station. Most of the pensioners arrived early to beat the queue but this would did not work. Some officials together with police tried in vain to request them to keep distance.
Under the current lockdown aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19, public modes of transport are allowed to operate from 5am – 9am and again from 4pm – 8pm. Other beneficiaries will be able to access their grants from 1 April 2020.
