Pensioner (90) dies in grant queue

A 90-year-old woman died while waiting to reregister for her old age grant in Chosen Village, North West.

The woman was in a queue outside the SA Security Agency’s offices when an official noticed something amiss and alerted the woman’s son, said social development department spokesperson Lumka Oliphant.

Police and paramedics were called, and the woman was declared dead on the scene.

The SA Security Agency embarked on a drive in April last year to reregister all social grant beneficiaries in an attempt to root out fraud in the system.

Oliphant said elderly recipients need not register at the SA Security Agency offices.

“The welfare of senior citizens remains a primary concern,” she said. “That is why we took this decision to reregister them in their own homes. Older persons and their families that are not reregistered will continue to receive their old age grant.”

- Sapa