Marecia Damons | Bizcommunity

Marecia Damons | Bizcommunity

News

Many recipients of the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant say they are battling with SASSA’s online verification system. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks

Health & Social Welfare

Social grants go unpaid as beneficiaries struggle with Sassa’s system

Marecia Damons 12 Jun 2025

Financial Services

Cabinet sent basic income grant plan back to the drawing board

Marecia Damons 9 Jun 2025

For the past four years, Streetscapes has been running a self-sufficient laundry at its urban farm in the city centre. The organisation plans to replicate the solar- and rainwater-powered laundromat and showers at the new site to cut operational costs and reduce pressure on municipal infrastructure. Photos: Marecia Damons / GroundUp

Inclusion, Empowerment & Social Justice

Plan to use properties owned by City of Cape Town for homeless project

Marecia Damons 12 May 2025

Law Practice

Judge delivers judgment — after 12 years

Marecia Damons 29 Apr 2025

The Department of Social Development is proposing changes to the Social Assistance Act, including removing questions about the income of applicants for the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. Archive photo: Mosima Rafapa/GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Department of Social Development proposes changes to SRD grant application

Marecia Damons 9 Apr 2025

Sassa presented its audit action plan to Parliament on Wednesday. Archive photo of people queueing for social grants in Eerste River in 2018. Photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa explains why it paid grants to 75,000 dead people

Marecia Damons 24 Mar 2025

The deadline for the transition from the SASSA Gold Card to the Black Card is looming. Archive photo: Marecia Damons / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

About 1.9m people still need to swap gold cards as Sassa deadline looms

Marecia Damons 5 Mar 2025

CPUT students protest against their “dire” accommodation

Higher Education

CPUT students protest against their “dire” accommodation

Marecia Damons 10 Feb 2025

Regulations limiting the access to the R370-a-month Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant have been found to be unconstitutional and invalid by the High Court in Pretoria on Thursday. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Explosive court ruling on SRD grant

Marecia Damons 24 Jan 2025

The South African Social Security Agency is to suspend payment of Social Relief of Distress grants where fraud is suspected. Archive photo: Barbara Maregele / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa to suspend SRD grants where fraud is suspected

Marecia Damons 22 Jan 2025

Eight months after publishing its last report, the Office of the Chief Justice has finally released the new list of reserved judgments. The High Court in Pretoria had the highest number of late judgments, with 59 matters outstanding for longer than six months. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Law Practice

Hundreds of court judgments are late

Marecia Damons 19 Dec 2024

#BestofBiz 2024: ESG & Sustainability

ESG & Sustainability

#BestofBiz 2024: ESG & Sustainability

17 Dec 2024

Postbank has started introducing a new Black Card for Sassa beneficiaries. The current Gold Cards were set to expire on 31 December, but Postbank has assured grant recipients that they will be able to access their money into the new year. Photo supplied by Sassa

Health & Social Welfare

Sassa Gold Cards will remain valid, says Postbank, as deadline looms

Marecia Damons 12 Nov 2024

More than 17 million people applied for the R370 grant in September

Health & Social Welfare

More than 17 million people applied for the R370 grant in September

Marecia Damons 3 Oct 2024

Socal grant applicants queue at the Eerste River Sassa office. Archive photo: Ashraf Hendricks / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Rules for R370-a-month social grant to be challenged in court in October

Marecia Damons 3 Sep 2024

Thousands of teaching posts to be cut in the Western Cape

Primary & Secondary Education

Thousands of teaching posts to be cut in the Western Cape

Marecia Damons 29 Aug 2024

Queues for social grants in Kuyasa, Cape Town. Beneficiaries of the Social Relief of Distress Grant are struggling with identity verification processes. Archive photo: Mary-Anne Gontsana / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Beneficiaries are still battling with Sassa’s new biometric system

Marecia Damons 31 Jul 2024

The Department of Social Development’s Annemie Van Reenen with hundreds of files in the registry at the department’s Langa office. A new app is designed to cut down on paperwork and filing for social workers. Photo: Marecia Damons / GroundUp

Infrastructure, Innovation & Technology

New app to help Western Cape social workers

Marecia Damons 25 Jul 2024

Khayelitsha women want to start a clothing factory

SMEs

Khayelitsha women want to start a clothing factory

Marecia Damons 3 Jul 2024

Some SRD grant beneficiaries with green ID books have been struggling to access their R370-per-month grant due to a new identity verification process. Archive photo: Mosima Rafapa / GroundUp

Health & Social Welfare

Here’s why people with green ID books are struggling with Sassa’s new verification process

Marecia Damons 27 Jun 2024

Cape Town school in the dark because it owes thousands to Eskom

Primary & Secondary Education

Cape Town school in the dark because it owes thousands to Eskom

Marecia Damons 27 Mar 2024

NSFAS has a horrible day in Parliament

Bursaries, Scholarships & Finance

NSFAS has a horrible day in Parliament

Marecia Damons 15 Feb 2024

Image supplied. The national winners of the 2023 Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards

Media

The 2023 national Vodacom Journalist of the Year Awards winners

1 Dec 2023

NSFAS budget cuts could leave more than 87,000 students without funding in 2024

Bursaries, Scholarships & Finance

NSFAS budget cuts could leave more than 87,000 students without funding in 2024

Marecia Damons 30 Nov 2023

Source: Vodacom All the Vodacom Journalist of the Year competition regional finalists have been announced

Media

All the Vodacom Journalist of the Year competition regional finalists

17 Nov 2023

Bester and Magudumana threaten court action to stop book release

Publishing

Bester and Magudumana threaten court action to stop book release

GroundUp Staff 12 Oct 2023

Parliament unimpressed by NSFAS's turnaround plan

Bursaries, Scholarships & Finance

Parliament unimpressed by NSFAS's turnaround plan

Marecia Damons 5 Oct 2023

Media

Thabo Bester escape story wins GroundUp a Nat Nakasa award

18 Sep 2023

Parliament grills NSFAS over student funding failures

Bursaries, Scholarships & Finance

Parliament grills NSFAS over student funding failures

Marecia Damons 7 Sep 2023

Leadership and governance in crisis at our universities, Parliament told

Higher Education

Leadership and governance in crisis at our universities, Parliament told

Marecia Damons 1 Sep 2023

Learners launch storytelling project to "recapture the beauty" of Masiphumelele

Primary & Secondary Education

Learners launch storytelling project to "recapture the beauty" of Masiphumelele

Marecia Damons 24 Aug 2023

Raise income tax for the rich to fund a permanent R350 grant, say experts

Health & Social Welfare

Raise income tax for the rich to fund a permanent R350 grant, say experts

Marecia Damons 14 Dec 2022

Innovative double-storey housing project for Khayelitsha

Affordable & Social Housing

Innovative double-storey housing project for Khayelitsha

Marecia Damons 21 Nov 2022

What happened to Cape Town's promised affordable housing policy?

Affordable & Social Housing

What happened to Cape Town's promised affordable housing policy?

Marecia Damons 14 Nov 2022

Regulatory

Liquor Amendment Bill might be further toughened up

Marecia Damons 18 Oct 2022

Sars workers, supported by Nehawu and PSA members, picket outside the Cape Town office on Tuesday for salary increases ahead of the nationwide strike on Wednesday. Photo: Marecia Damons / GroundUp

Labour Law & Unions

Sars workers picket for salary increases ahead of nationwide strike

Marecia Damons 24 May 2022

Climate activists picket at parliament, accuse COP26 of excluding African farmers

Climate Change

Climate activists picket at parliament, accuse COP26 of excluding African farmers

Marecia Damons 8 Nov 2021

Steel workers countrywide down tools, demanding 8% wage hike

Construction & Engineering

Steel workers countrywide down tools, demanding 8% wage hike

Masego Mafata, Joseph Chirume, Nokulunga Majola and Marecia Damons 6 Oct 2021

Cape Town centre offers a hot meal and a vaccine to homeless people

NGO, NPO & Social Enterprise

Cape Town centre offers a hot meal and a vaccine to homeless people

Marecia Damons 14 Sep 2021

The City of Cape Town has defended its demolition of a tent camp on 23 August that had been set up by homeless people near the Green Point Tennis Club. Photo: Marecia Damons / GroundUp

Human Rights Law

City of Cape Town defends its demolition of Green Point tent camp in court

Marecia Damons 6 Sep 2021

Food supply to 675,000 people cut off after Durban food bank ransacked

NGO, NPO & Social Enterprise

Food supply to 675,000 people cut off after Durban food bank ransacked

Marecia Damons 14 Jul 2021

Source: PublicDomainPictures via

Education

As many as 750,000 children have dropped out of school during the pandemic

Marecia Damons 9 Jul 2021

State asks for more time to investigate case against Table Mountain fire accused

Criminal Law

State asks for more time to investigate case against Table Mountain fire accused

Marecia Damons 21 Jun 2021

Cape artists protest against lack of government support

Theatre

Cape artists protest against lack of government support

Marecia Damons 30 Mar 2021

NGOs warn latest budget will have bad outcomes for education

Education & Skills Development

NGOs warn latest budget will have bad outcomes for education

Marecia Damons 26 Feb 2021

Covid-19: Excess deaths for second week running

Covid-19

Covid-19: Excess deaths for second week running

Marecia Damons 30 Oct 2020