More than 5.4-million beneficiaries who collect their social grants at ATMs and shops using their South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) cards will, for the next three months, incur a R10 "banking fee". This was revealed by the agency’s Dianne Dunkerley in Parliament on Wednesday. She also assured the portfolio committee on social development that grants would be paid electronically from April 1 and at cash pay-points from April 3. While MPs welcomed Sassa’s efforts to secure the payment of grants next month‚ many raised concerns about the additional R10 charge on the Grindrod Bank accounts of beneficiaries using the current Sassa card. Dunkerley explained that the "banking fee" was a result of the Constitutional Court order on Friday, which allowed the current service provider — Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) — to continue doing cash payments until September. Dunkerley said Grindrod Bank would charge R10 to maintain the accounts. "We have been given clearance from the Reserve ...

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