Hope on the Ground: Sassa Brings Grants, ID Services and Relief to Harding Community

In the rural town of Harding, KwaZulu-Natal, help came in person this week. And for many residents, it couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

Hundreds gathered at Mlamulankunzi Sports Ground on Tuesday as Sassa and the Department of Social Development hosted an impactful Integrated Community Registration and Outreach Programme (ICROP) a hands-on event aimed at bringing essential government services directly to the people.

The outreach was led by Deputy Minister for Social Development Ganief Hendricks, marking his first ICROP since taking office. “This is what ICROPs are all about,” Hendricks said, “bringing government services closer to those who need it most and where they live.”

Real Help, Real Time

Residents of Harding and the surrounding rural wards accessed everything from social grant applications and Covid-19 SRD support to ID services provided by Home Affairs, a game changer in remote communities where travel costs often become a barrier to basic services.

There were also face-to-face discussions between community members, local leaders, and national officials a rare opportunity for many.

KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development Mbali Shinga was hopeful about the broader impact. “I’m confident today’s outreach will help us take meaningful strides in poverty alleviation and our fight against GBV,” she said.

Local Businesses and Learners Benefit

The outreach didn’t stop at grants and ID documents. In a powerful gesture of grassroots empowerment, the National Development Agency (NDA) handed over R99,000 to Nolubaphitha Primary Cooperative Limited, a female-led local business making affordable bread.

“These are the kinds of initiatives we want to support,” said Hendricks, citing the importance of the Sustainable Livelihoods Programme in building economic resilience at a local level.

Meanwhile, school uniforms were handed out to underprivileged learners as part of Sassa’s Social Relief of Distress Programme, helping families struggling to make ends meet.

Residents React

For many attendees, the visit was more than symbolic, it was a lifeline.

“We’ve had challenges with our Covid-19 SRD grants,” said local resident Bathobile Disani. “But Sassa officials were able to assist and resolve the issues on-site. It made a huge difference.”

According to Sassa’s acting regional executive manager in KZN, Simlindile Jabavu, the province has nearly 2.9 million children currently receiving child support grants, underscoring the sheer demand for Sassa’s work.

A Step Toward Restoring Trust

In a time when many South Africans feel disconnected from the institutions meant to serve them, events like the Harding ICROP send a hopeful message: Government is showing up and listening.

As the team heads to more communities across the country, Sassa and the Department of Social Development say this outreach is just the beginning.

For Harding, it was a reminder that help isn’t always a click away, sometimes, it arrives in a tent at a sports ground, with school uniforms, grant forms, and warm hands ready to serve.

{Source: The Citizen}

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