The Portfolio Committee on Social Development has urged SASSA beneficiaries who still use the gold cards to apply to a bank of their choice as soon as possible.

This comes after the South African Reserve Bank instructed Postbank to suspend the issuing of black cards. This was revealed in Parliament yesterday.

For months, thousands of beneficiaries had to endure long queues as they were urged to migrate to the black cards, only for the deadline to be extended twice.

Now, those who still have the gold cards will seemingly no longer be able to make the switch.

Committee chairperson Bridget Masango says the SARB instructed Postbank, with the guidance of SASSA, to ensure that beneficiaries, who have not yet migrated to the black cards, can use their gold cards and receive their grants and that there is minimal disruption while they are moving to alternative sources, such as their bank of choice.

“The suspension of the issuing of the Postbank black cards poses a disadvantage to the many beneficiaries who are yet to receive their cards. While we understand the complexities that surround this process, it is important to ensure that assurance is given to beneficiaries that there will be no disruptions in their use of the gold card and that they will receive their monies.”

Masango says the committee will continue to monitor closely how this process unfolds to ensure that beneficiaries are not disadvantaged at all by the suspension of the issuing of black cards.

Those who still have SASSA gold cards will only be able to use them until the end of May.

Masango reiterated her call for those beneficiaries still using the gold cards to rather open a commercial bank account.

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