A poor 78-year-old granny has been battling with the Department of Health and Social Development for seven years to get her R1 850 old age pension grant which is five months in arrears, but in vain.

Ms Thivhafuni Mathegu of Mukula, outside Thohoyandou, said she is now tired of brooding in silence and she has now turned to Mirror for help! She said she has been trying to recover her money since 1998 and nothing fruitful has ever taken place.

She explained what happened: “My old age grant summarily seized for five months in 1998. From February to June 1998, I came back from the pay point empty handed. When I went to the pay point the following month, I only got my R370 July grant without any arrears for the previous five months. I asked the officials at the pay point and they said I needed to go to the offices of the department to sort out my problem. Since then, I have been taken from pillar to post and my plea has always fallen on deaf ears…”

She said she has travelled to Makwarela government offices to sort out the problem, but nothing has come out for the past seven years. “Each time, I am told to wait for my money at the pay point, but I have never received any answer for seven years. Some people who had the same problem as I do have long ago received their monies. What wrong have I done to deserve all this misfortune? I need the money because it rightfully belongs to me…”

Mirror approached the offices of Health and Social Development to find out what had happened to Ms Mathegu’s money.

Zwiitani Nemaguvhuni of the said department immediately committed himself to personally assisting Mathegu to receive her money. He said Mathegu’s problem is the result of the government’s initiative of eradicating ghost pensioners in 1998. He said Mathegu will smile again because her problem will be solved as a matter of urgency.

“We have had too many beneficiaries who had the same problem as Thivhafuni since 1998. The department has worked so hard to solve these problems and most of the beneficiaries have already received their dues. I am going to visit her and interview her to find out how best we can assist her. She will obviously get her money urgently and I promise that the final process to sort out her problem will not take more than two weeks…”

Nemaguvhuni thanked Mirror for bringing Mathegu’s plight to the Department’s attention.