FOR NINE years gogo Julia’s Sassa card was allegedly in the hands of a mashonisa.
Now the 89-year-old gogo has died and her family are refusing to pay for the funeral.
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THEY SAID THEY ARE TAKING THE BODY TO THE MASHONISA AND SHE CAN BURY HER!
When gogo Julia Khaile from Brandfort in the Free State died last Tuesday after a long illness, the family discovered that Julia had no funeral plan because her Sassa card was with the mashonisa.
According to the family, the card ended up in the woman’s hands years ago when gogo bought groceries on credit from her shop.
Shop owner and mashonisa Matshepang Ratsella (42) met the SunTeam at the cop shop to give her side of the story. She said she took the card for seven months in 2016.
“I kept R1 000 with me after buying gogo groceries worth R380 and R50 for electricity,” she said.
Matshepang said she realised the gogo’s daughter could not take care of her mum, so she kept the money just to help gogo.
Gogo’s niece Nelly Mcandi (50) said: “My late aunt received pension money but never saw it. I learnt after her death that Matshepang had her Sassa card and pin number for nine years.”
She said Matshepang withdrew the money and bought R380 worth of groceries and R50 electricity every month.
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“This is sad because now my aunt has passed on and no one is willing to help with funeral arrangements,” she said.
She said she went to Matshepang the day after her aunt died and confronted her.
“She denied having the card. We’re not going to open a case. We’re going to take aunt’s corpse to her house so she can bury her.”
Gogo lived with her daughter Ntswaki Letaba (46) after the other children left the home long ago. Gogo had relatives who only visited once in a while.
Ntswaki insisted the card was with Matshepang for nine years.
“The shop owner bought groceries and electricity every month. Now my mother is dead.
“We don’t know all the facts. Matshepang denies having her card.”
She said she took care of her mum even though she was unemployed.
“Matshepang must tell the truth and bury my mother,” she said.
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Matshepang said she was not going to bury the gogo. She said Ntswaki must tell the truth about the card and money.
“Gogo and her daughter came and took groceries on credit. I took the card and gave it back to her daughter after their debt was settled. I help a lot of people and would never do that to an old woman who I took as my own mother.”
Sassa Free State spokeswoman Motshewa Maleka said: “When a stranger or money lender holds a beneficiary’s Sassa card it is regarded as fraud and exploitation.”
She said they did not have control of how a beneficiary used the card, however they warn beneficiaries not to share their pin number or give their cards to any money lenders or strangers.
“It must also be clear that since gogo has passed on it’s the family’s obligation to report her death to the nearest Sassa office to ensure the grant is stopped,” she said.
