A kid became ill while the mum was standing in a Sassa queue at the Bellville offices on Tuesday.
Her young kid passed away after falling critically ill while waiting with her outside the Sassa office in Bellville, Western Cape.
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The tragic incident happened while the mum was at the office for social grant services.
Western Cape Sassa spokeswoman Shivani Wahab confirmed the heartbreaking incident.
“The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) in the Western Cape confirms that an unfortunate incident occurred outside the Sassa Bellville Office involving a mother and her young child who were at the contact point for social grant services,” said Wahab.
She said the situation quickly turned into a medical emergency.
“While waiting in line, the mother alerted officials that her child was critically ill. Sassa staff responded immediately by contacting emergency medical services,” said Wahab.
“When it became apparent that there would be a delay in the arrival of paramedics, officials acted swiftly in the best interest of the child and assisted the mother by transporting both mother and child to the nearest clinic.”
The child was admitted to the emergency room but sadly did not survive.
“It’s with deep sadness that we have since been informed that the child has passed away,” said Wahab.
She said the agency has offered support to the family.
“Sassa extends its heartfelt condolences to the family during this extremely difficult time,” she said.
Wahab added that Sassa remains committed to helping beneficiaries safely.
This is the second death linked to a Sassa office in the Western Cape in just days.
Last week, another beneficiary died outside the Sassa office in Paarl.
Sassa said the person had already been helped inside the office, adding that the incident happened after the person left the building.
“Emergency services were immediately contacted, and assistance was rendered. However, the client was unfortunately declared deceased at the scene,” said Sassa.
The agency confirmed the death did not happen inside the office.
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“Sassa can confirm that the incident did not occur inside the Sassa office, and the client had already concluded his engagement with the Agency,” the statement said.
The agency extended condolences and asked for privacy for the grieving families.
