As hundreds of thousands of South Africans have had their disability payments suspended, this crowd of protesters in Cape Town had a water cannon turned on them by local police for violating safety protocols on January 15.

Riot police used water cannons on the grant applicants standing in queues after they were warned to wear masks and observe social distancing.

Temporary disability grant recipients at SASSA (South African Social Security Agency) offices in Bellville, Cape Town, have been queueing for days as more than 200 000 people who receive disability grants face potential suspension of these financial assistance payments. The grants which require a medical assessment were extended on two occasions because of the Covid 19 lockdown in South Africa.

A squabble has developed between the City of Cape Town and the national government over the provision of facilities to process applications for the grants. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu has accused the City of Cape Town of not providing her department with proper venues to process applications. The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee Member for Health, Zahid Badroodien, has refuted these claims and has stated that the national government failed to engage the City of Cape Town.

The City of Cape Town as well as the Western Cape is the only province in the country not under the political control of the African National Congress. The City of Cape Town and the province of the Western Cape are under the political control of the official opposition party, The Democratic Alliance.

Riot police used water cannons on the grant applicants standing in queues after they were warned to wear masks and observe social distancing in terms of South Africa’s level three lockdown alert level regulations.

A grant applicant named Cheryl, who refused to give her surname, claims she has been waiting in the queue since Thursday last week. She is in her 50’s and says she is unable to find suitable employment.