A disturbing trend has emerged in parts of the eThekwini Municipality, where elderly South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant recipients allege that local tuckshop operators have been forcefully taking their SASSA cards as collateral for unpaid credit.
According to Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA), they have received multiple reports in recent weeks from pensioners seeking assistance after their grant cards were confiscated by shop owners. The elderly complainants say they had occasionally taken essential items such as bread and milk on credit, but were unable to pay in full.
Victims claim that when they failed to settle these small debts, some tuckshop operators resorted to intimidation — threatening assault and demanding not only the SASSA card but also the PIN. On pension payout days, these operators reportedly inflate the amounts owed, add excessive interest, and withdraw large sums from the victims’ accounts.
In many cases, the operators retain the cards and give the pensioners only a fraction of the funds owed to them.
RUSA reports that in one case, a single tuckshop was found to be in possession of 15 SASSA cards.
Authorities have been urged to investigate and take immediate action to protect vulnerable grant recipients from exploitation and abuse.