South Africa: Grant recipients foiled by new biometric verification process amid payment delays

‘I don’t know what else to do. I am still trying but it still says the camera is not allowed. I am busy with it every day but it always says ‘camera not allowed’, now it has been two months without any payment.”

These were the words of a recipient of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The recipient, who did not want to be named, is one of numerous recipients who have complained that they can’t access their grant because of a new identity verification process introduced…