When one of her daughters died, Elizabeth Thame from Tantyi offered to look after one grandchild while her other daughter took care of the other two.
When one of her daughters died, Elizabeth Thame from Tantyi offered to look after one grandchild while her other daughter took care of the other two.
But Thame, who is trying to raise her grandchild on a R250 child support grant, says she was discouraged from applying for the R710 foster child grant she qualifies for.
Her daughter, who applied for a grant in January and is still waiting, is an example of why grandmothers in Grahamstown are giving up on getting what is owed to them.
Simply put, many grandmothers who are entitled to R710 grants are settling for the R250 allocated to single unemployed parents because it is easier to obtain.
Applying for the foster child grant is a very lengthy process and requires many documents, including the deceased parent’s death certificate, proof that foster child is attending school, and a court order.
According to Notheko Mpashu, a social worker at the Department of Social Development (DSD), there is a backlog at the department because of the high application rate.
She says that most people eventually receive the grant but that the process is lengthy. The DSD must do an on-site assessment, take a report to the Magistrate’s Court and help applicants to get a court order.
Only then is it finally possible to apply for the grant from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa). Sassa spokesperson Luzuko Qina says the agency registers an average of 40 foster care grant applications every day.
But Qina says there is no backlog because once all necessary documents are in place the claims are processed immediately.
The turnaround time for Grahamstown, for example, is two hours, he says. However, the challenge for many grandmothers starts before even applying for the grant.
Getting co-operation from family members is a problem for Nonzima Vasi from Hlalani, who is raising her 11-year-old granddaughter.
According to Vasi, her deceased daughter-in-law’s family refuse to go to the police station for an affidavit to prove the mother’s death.
Vasi claims her in-laws are not assisting her because they also want the grant. Nomathemba Kobunzi from Etembeni township is struggling to get proof that her 13-year-old grandson goes to DD Siwisa Primary School.
She says he skips school regularly because he gets teased for still being in Grade 2. Without proof of school enrolment she also has to make do with the R250 grant.
Jabez Aids Health Centre liaises with the DSD on behalf of families affected by HIV/Aids whose grant applications have been rejected.
The centre's manager, Goodwill Featherstone, is worried that some foster parents do not even know about the R710 grant.
Featherstone also says that careful investigation is needed because “a lot of people”, including grandmothers, try to abuse the system.
“They lie to us to get something. People are desperate because they are hungry. They have nothing,” he says.
What you need to apply for a
foster care grant
• A court order to say that you are eligible for a foster child grant
• Proof of address
• If you are married, the marriage certificate
• The foster child’s birth certificate or ID document
• Proof that the foster child is in school
• The deceased parent’s death certificate
