Sassa Functions: Sassa which stands for the South African Social Security Agency, is an integral part of the South African social security system. Every resident in South Africa is expected to be familiar with the various grants offered by Sassa. Established in 2005, the agency operates according to the Sassa Agency Act (Act No 9 of 2004), which was signed into law by the President and is available in English.
Additionally, the agency is subject to the Public Finance Management Act, of 1999 (Act No. 1 of 1999). Sassa is responsible for administering social assistance programs in South Africa.
Objectives
Sassa’s primary objective is to provide social security services that safeguard individuals from vulnerability and poverty through the constitutional and legislative framework. The Social Assistance Act of 2004 serves as the national legislative framework that enables the efficient and effective management, administration, and payment of social grants. It governs all services related to grants, from the application process to payment methods. Sassa officials are available to provide guidance and assistance.
According to Lund (2002:683), the South African system of state social assistance providers primarily targets vulnerable groups such as the elderly, people with disabilities (physical or mental), children under the age of 18, and families who are facing unemployment or disaster. This grant was initially introduced for white people in the first half of the last century and gradually expanded to the whole of South Africa.
Kaseke (2010:161) highlights three different schemes, including unemployment insurance (under the terms of Act No. 63 of 2001), the Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Fund (in terms of Act No. 130 of 1993), and the Road Accident Fund (which protects against the risk of road accidents victims).
Note that unemployment insurance is not available for non-South African citizens or civil employers.
SASSA’s Origins: A Brief History
SASSA, the agency responsible for the management, administration, and payment of social assistance grants, was established on April 1st, 2006. Prior to this, social assistance functions were performed within the Department of Social Development both nationally and provincially. However, due to the national department’s inability to perform administrative functions uniformly within the provinces, the provincial social assistance functions were integrated through a Service Agreement between the national and provincial departments. Under this agreement, the Department of Social Development provided support services to SASSA until the agency became fully independent. Although much operational staff transferred to SASSA, trained staff was also required for the agency to operate smoothly.
In an interview, Nceba Matongosi, the coordinator of Black Sash, notes that SASSA hired mostly the same employees who were part of the effective grant administration system. This was the most convenient way to address the staffing issue. However, it does not guarantee that all methods of securing high-quality service are beyond reproach. According to SASSA’s design, vision, and mission, all employees are expected to provide services at an excellent level.
The establishment of SASSA in the South African context is similar to the Centrelink Australian social security model, which was established in 1997. During Centrelink’s establishment, various federal administration institutes merged with the staff of social security and employment departments to create a new independent agency similar to SASSA. The main purpose of this agency was to combat illegal activities, protect the system, and prevent fraud. In the South African context, the merging of different provincial departments into one independent agency led to the creation of SASSA.
Interested in working for SASSA? Check out SASSA Job Vacancies 2022.
Traits and Functions of SASSA
SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) was established in response to the Taylor Committee’s recommendation to create a comprehensive social system with proper security in South Africa. Reddy and Sokomani (2008: 82) note that 80% of SASSA’s resources were spent on establishing the agency between 2006 and 2007.
SASSA’s primary functions include management, administration, and payment of social assistance, rendering social security payments, maintaining and administering payment-related information, processing the national database for payment management and funds transfer, establishing a social security system to prevent fraud and illegal activities, maintaining human dignity, and providing consultation to applicants. The agency also enforces financial penalties for failure to follow the agency agreement.
SASSA’s Organizational Tiers
SASSA is organized into four tiers: head office, regional office, district office, and local office. The head office is situated at the national level in Pretoria and is managed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who reports all activities directly to the Minister (Olivier, Mpedi, and Jordaan, 2009:63).
The CEO and Minister make decisions through a properly determined code of conduct, with the Minister having the right to override any decision made by the CEO. The other nine regional offices, located in each region of South Africa, are headed by regional executive managers for Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Free-State, Gauteng, North West, KwaZulu Natal
LEGAL FRAMEWORK
The objective of the administration is to translate the principles of the law into practical implementation and actual outcomes (Strydom, 2006:235). Sassa operates within a legislative framework that governs its mandate. The crucial pieces of legislation include:
- The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 and the Bill of Rights, Section 27
- The South African Social Security Agency Act No. 9 of 2004 (which provides for the administration, management, and payment of social grants)
- The Social Assistance Act No. 13 of 2004 (which prescribes the manner in which Sassa functions should be executed)
- The Public Finance Management Act No. 1 of 1999 (which regulates financial management, including managing expenditure, revenue, assets, and liabilities)
- The Promotion of Administrative Justice Act No. 3 of 2000 (which protects administrative rights)
- The Promotion of Access to Information Act No. 2 of 2000 (which guarantees the right to access information)
PROCESS OF GRANT ADMINISTRATION (Sassa services from application to approval)
The grant application process involves various stages, from the point of application or contact to the final decision on whether the grant is approved or disapproved. The process includes:
Screening: Sassa verifies all the required documentation, such as ID, medical assessment, and receipt documents.
Attesting: During this stage, Sassa checks the documents, interviews the customer, and captures data on SOCPEN to prevent misconceptions and fraud.
Quality control: Sassa ensures the completeness of the application form and documentation, in accordance with legislative requirements for processing the application to the next step.
Verification: The information undergoes the verification process, and a final decision is made on whether to approve or reject the application on SOCPEN by issuing the result of the application.
VARIOUS GRANT TYPES
Sassa provides different types of grants, and once you have applied, you can check your Sassa grant status at any time. The list of grants offered by Sassa includes:
- Child Support Grant (CSG)
- Foster Care Grant (FCG)
- Care Dependency Grant (CDG)
- Old Age Grant (OAG)
- Disability Grants (DG)
- War Veteran Grant (WVG)
- Grant-In-Aid (GIA)
Conclusion
SASSA’s primary objective is to create, oversee, and control the distribution of grants in a manner that prevents complications for recipients. The organization’s approach to grant administration aligns with that of Centrelink in Australia. Nevertheless, some researchers question whether the Centrelink model is as effective in a developing country like South Africa as it is in a first-world environment.
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