SASSA is an agency responsible for the administration of social security grants and its administration is centred on the customer, which in theory shows the act of Batho Pele (putting people first). However, the implementation of this new administration system is largely dependent on its drivers, namely the administrators within SASSA. This requires the consistent application of the Batho Pele principles, and also requires the administrators of SASSA to be capacitated enough to be able to deliver quality services to its customers. In this main theme three sub-themes emerged including: applicants’ interactions with grant administrators; SASSA staffing; and complaints from both the administrative staff and clients.
5.6.1 Applicants’ Interactions with Grant Administrators
The researcher asked the primary caregivers (SASSA clients) to share their experiences during the application process. Some reported to have had a bad experience because of the way the administrators treated them. On the other hand, others indicated that they had a
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good experience during the application process. One respondent feels that she had the worst experience during the application:
They treated me badly, I had to sit from morning till afternoon in their tent and it was cold. They paid no attention to us while we sat there, later on the day they came and told us to come back the following day (#27 primary caregiver, in-depth interview).
During the focus group the behaviour of SASSA administrators emerged as a topic of discussion, and some respondents in the group indicated that administrators exhibit different behaviour, which is often inconsiderate towards applicants. This shows that the personalities of administrators in this local office hinders them from upholding the Batho Pele principles, and the essence of putting others first before one’s own emotions is lacking in most SASSA administrators. This kind of behaviour inflicts fear in clients, making it difficult for them to access services because of the fear of being shouted at or treated as less than human. It was observed that the SASSA offices at Mthonjaneni Local Municipality do not have Batho Pele principles posters on any wall for both the administrator and clients to read and implement.
This helps to remind not only the clients what they are entitled to, but also serves to remind clients how the administrators must behave. The information contained in these posters also enables the clients to question the administrators if they do not receive the services in the way they are entitled to. During the focus group discussion primary caregivers indicated that such behaviour is not prevalent in all administration staff:
They are not the same, because sometimes you find a good person, the next door you find a rude person (1# primary caregiver, focus group discussion).
One respondent indicated that having a family member working at SASSA made things very easy for her:
They treated me well because there were my family members that work there (#23 primary caregiver, in-depth interview).
The above responses reveal that it is likely that training has not been offered to all the administrators regarding the application of the Batho Pele principles and the essence of customer service. The crux of customer service in the public sector is derived from the Batho Pele principles, which gives clear direction on how public servants must treat their customers. The data from the previous theme regarding application process revealed that
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SASSA in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality has a customer care administrator who is responsible for pre-screening all clients as they come in to the offices. The customer care administrator should not only be responsible for pre-screening applicants, but should also ensure that all customers have the best service experience. One respondent indicated that having a family member working at SASSA made things very easy for her. When a group of primary caregivers were discussing their experiences with SASSA administrators, it also emerged that even if they have had a bad experience there is nowhere that complaints can be lodged. However, the observations revealed that in the waiting area where all applicants sit, there is a small box for comments and complaints placed in a corner which made it hard to notice, and the administrators place minimal emphasis on it as there is no pen or paper with which to write placed next to it. Some clients complained about the level of service delivery in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality SASSA office:
I did get help, even though I did not get it on the same day. I had to go back and forth to get everything sorted, sometimes when I would get there, they would tell us that the system is down (#9 primary caregiver, in-depth interview).
The above quote suggests that the repeat visit was not due to slow processing time for the application process, but rather because of certain requirements that the client was lacking.
The client therefore had to make repeat visits to the SASSA office to finish the application process. This delay can be avoided by ensuring that all the necessary information regarding the application process and required documents is communicated to the clients at the beginning of the application process.
5.6.2 SASSA Staffing in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality
The researcher asked the SASSA administrators if they have enough staff to meet the daily demands of the clients. All respondents reported that SASSA does have enough staff:
Yes, we have enough staff because if it is a busy day of which is unusual, mostly it is the CSG clients because in some months it is like they have been delivered by a bus. But in that instance I contact the District Office for help, where they send in administrators to come and help during those very busy days (#3 SASSA assistant manager, in-depth interview).
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This finding shows that SASSA in Mthonjaneni Local Municipality has enough staff members to meet the daily needs of all the clients, and that having an extremely busy day is an unlikely occurrence for this local office. Some administrators raised the relatively low number of residents residing in the municipality as the determining factor for not having too many busy days. The data reveals that repeat visits are not as a result of shortage in staff but is instead due to other factors such as the SCOPEN system which this local office has little control over. One respondent felt that the office layout is the reason why they have the number of the staff they have.
The above findings provided an understanding of the role played by administrators within SASSA in ensuring effectiveness of the administration processes in the provision of the CSG. These findings have provided an insight regarding the role of administrators in SASSA at Mthonjaneni Local Municipality which, in the main, is to process application forms in accordance with policy and to ensure that the CSG is given to deserving beneficiaries.
5.7 CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY SASSA IN MTHONJANENI LOCAL