All Article Properties:
{
"access_control": false,
"status": "publish",
"objectType": "Article",
"id": "82519",
"signature": "Article:82519",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-04-25-sassa-tells-net1-to-retract-misleading-pamphlet/",
"shorturl": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/article/82519",
"slug": "sassa-tells-net1-to-retract-misleading-pamphlet",
"contentType": {
"id": "1",
"name": "Article",
"slug": "article"
},
"views": 0,
"comments": 0,
"preview_limit": null,
"excludedFromGoogleSearchEngine": 0,
"title": "Sassa tells Net1 to retract ‘misleading’ pamphlet",
"firstPublished": "2018-04-25 23:59:51",
"lastUpdate": "2018-04-25 23:59:51",
"categories": [
{
"id": "9",
"name": "Business Maverick",
"signature": "Category:9",
"slug": "business-maverick",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/business-maverick/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
},
{
"id": "29",
"name": "South Africa",
"signature": "Category:29",
"slug": "south-africa",
"typeId": {
"typeId": "1",
"name": "Daily Maverick",
"slug": "",
"includeInIssue": "0",
"shortened_domain": "",
"stylesheetClass": "",
"domain": "staging.dailymaverick.co.za",
"articleUrlPrefix": "",
"access_groups": "[]",
"locale": "",
"preview_limit": null
},
"parentId": null,
"parent": [],
"image": "",
"cover": "",
"logo": "",
"paid": "0",
"objectType": "Category",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/category/south-africa/",
"cssCode": "",
"template": "default",
"tagline": "",
"link_param": null,
"description": "Daily Maverick is an independent online news publication and weekly print newspaper in South Africa.\r\n\r\nIt is known for breaking some of the defining stories of South Africa in the past decade, including the Marikana Massacre, in which the South African Police Service killed 34 miners in August 2012.\r\n\r\nIt also investigated the Gupta Leaks, which won the 2019 Global Shining Light Award.\r\n\r\nThat investigation was credited with exposing the Indian-born Gupta family and former President Jacob Zuma for their role in the systemic political corruption referred to as state capture.\r\n\r\nIn 2018, co-founder and editor-in-chief Branislav ‘Branko’ Brkic was awarded the country’s prestigious Nat Nakasa Award, recognised for initiating the investigative collaboration after receiving the hard drive that included the email tranche.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, co-founder and CEO Styli Charalambous also received the award.\r\n\r\nDaily Maverick covers the latest political and news developments in South Africa with breaking news updates, analysis, opinions and more.",
"metaDescription": "",
"order": "0",
"pageId": null,
"articlesCount": null,
"allowComments": "1",
"accessType": "freecount",
"status": "1",
"children": [],
"cached": true
}
],
"content_length": 2840,
"contents": "<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has given Grindrod Bank and Net1 five days to retract a “misleading” pamphlet being distributed to social grant beneficiaries across the country.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Sassa accounts have for the last six years been held at Grindrod Bank on behalf of Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), which used to pay all the social grants. Net1 is the parent company of CPS and of EasyPay Everywhere, the company which issues green cards to grant beneficiaries for private bank accounts. Net1 also owns credit provider Moneyline, and beneficiaries wishing to take out a loan are expected to take out a green card.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">There are currently more than two million grant beneficiaries with green cards. The number spiked in recent months as the contract between Sassa and CPS drew to an end, with activists warning that Net1 might intend to maintain its loan and other business with grant beneficiaries through the green cards once its contract expired.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The contract ended in March this year. CPS will continue to manage the distribution of cash payments until September, but the more profitable electronic payments to over five million recipients will now be made by Sassa or the South African Post Office.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The new Sassa Postbank cards are expected to be distributed in May. Beneficiaries will be required to bring the relevant document to their nearest Sassa or Post Office to apply for the new card.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The pamphlet issued by Net1 has a photo of the current Sassa card and the green EPE card on it. Beneficiaries are told: “You have the right to continue to use your Sassa branded Grindrod card or your EasyPay Everywhere (green) card for as long as you want to - should you choose to do so.” </span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Next to the photo of the cards is the statement: “Nobody can force you to change from your Sassa branded Grindrod card or your EasyPay Everywhere (green) card to another bank account” and “The Sassa branded Grindrod card does not expire in December 2018”.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-82520\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/groundup-SassaNet1Ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"530\" /> This is the Net1/Grindrod Bank advert that Sassa has been told to withdraw.</p>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">On 23 April, Sassa acting CEO Pearl Bhengu told Net1 in a letter to retract the pamphlet.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">In her letter Bhengu referred to the pamphlet as “misleading” because it depicts the EPE card as one of Sassa’s banking accounts “of choice”. </span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The EPE card has not been endorsed and/or backed by Sassa”, she said.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Bhengu warned Net1 not to market the EPE cards in Sassa offices or at Sassa cash pay points.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The rules which apply to any commercial bank also apply to you as a bank.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">We request that you immediately cease with the distribution of the pamphlet and retract the misleading information together with an apology to the beneficiaries,” Bhengu wrote.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Questions sent to Net1 on Tuesday morning were acknowledged but had not been answered by noon on Wednesday.<b> </b><u><b>DM</b></u></span></span></span>",
"teaser": "Sassa tells Net1 to retract ‘misleading’ pamphlet",
"externalUrl": "",
"sponsor": null,
"authors": [
{
"id": "314",
"name": "GroundUp",
"image": "",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/author/groundup/",
"editorialName": "groundup",
"department": "",
"name_latin": ""
}
],
"description": "",
"keywords": [
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "3704",
"name": "Sassa",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/sassa/",
"slug": "sassa",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Sassa",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "6635",
"name": "Grindrod Bank",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/grindrod-bank/",
"slug": "grindrod-bank",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "Grindrod Bank",
"translations": null
}
},
{
"type": "Keyword",
"data": {
"keywordId": "41212",
"name": "EasyPay Everywhere",
"url": "https://staging.dailymaverick.co.za/keyword/easypay-everywhere/",
"slug": "easypay-everywhere",
"description": "",
"articlesCount": 0,
"replacedWith": null,
"display_name": "EasyPay Everywhere",
"translations": null
}
}
],
"short_summary": null,
"source": null,
"related": [],
"options": [],
"attachments": [
{
"id": "65315",
"name": "This is the Net1/Grindrod Bank advert that SASSA has been told to withdraw.",
"description": "<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has given Grindrod Bank and Net1 five days to retract a “misleading” pamphlet being distributed to social grant beneficiaries across the country.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Sassa accounts have for the last six years been held at Grindrod Bank on behalf of Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), which used to pay all the social grants. Net1 is the parent company of CPS and of EasyPay Everywhere, the company which issues green cards to grant beneficiaries for private bank accounts. Net1 also owns credit provider Moneyline, and beneficiaries wishing to take out a loan are expected to take out a green card.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">There are currently more than two million grant beneficiaries with green cards. The number spiked in recent months as the contract between Sassa and CPS drew to an end, with activists warning that Net1 might intend to maintain its loan and other business with grant beneficiaries through the green cards once its contract expired.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The contract ended in March this year. CPS will continue to manage the distribution of cash payments until September, but the more profitable electronic payments to over five million recipients will now be made by Sassa or the South African Post Office.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The new Sassa Postbank cards are expected to be distributed in May. Beneficiaries will be required to bring the relevant document to their nearest Sassa or Post Office to apply for the new card.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The pamphlet issued by Net1 has a photo of the current Sassa card and the green EPE card on it. Beneficiaries are told: “You have the right to continue to use your Sassa branded Grindrod card or your EasyPay Everywhere (green) card for as long as you want to - should you choose to do so.” </span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Next to the photo of the cards is the statement: “Nobody can force you to change from your Sassa branded Grindrod card or your EasyPay Everywhere (green) card to another bank account” and “The Sassa branded Grindrod card does not expire in December 2018”.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_82520\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"750\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-82520\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/groundup-SassaNet1Ad.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"530\" /> This is the Net1/Grindrod Bank advert that Sassa has been told to withdraw.[/caption]\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">On 23 April, Sassa acting CEO Pearl Bhengu told Net1 in a letter to retract the pamphlet.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">In her letter Bhengu referred to the pamphlet as “misleading” because it depicts the EPE card as one of Sassa’s banking accounts “of choice”. </span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The EPE card has not been endorsed and/or backed by Sassa”, she said.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Bhengu warned Net1 not to market the EPE cards in Sassa offices or at Sassa cash pay points.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The rules which apply to any commercial bank also apply to you as a bank.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">“<span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">We request that you immediately cease with the distribution of the pamphlet and retract the misleading information together with an apology to the beneficiaries,” Bhengu wrote.</span></span></span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Questions sent to Net1 on Tuesday morning were acknowledged but had not been answered by noon on Wednesday.<b> </b><u><b>DM</b></u></span></span></span>",
"focal": "50% 50%",
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"transforms": [
{
"x": "200",
"y": "100",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/Fod_FaLhhena0HOTPaERnpwVW7U=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg"
},
{
"x": "450",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/meu1Wze9i5vAmv88XANa3_t18eM=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg"
},
{
"x": "800",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/d_41KRNKI3wv4EZ5B2vuOykc_4k=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1200",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/1WF5sVEpSxHrqqCitVq6HM3SqS8=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg"
},
{
"x": "1600",
"y": "0",
"url": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/BLZ5_79NcU3mrRKQoqJHHJFcUbY=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg"
}
],
"url_thumbnail": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/Fod_FaLhhena0HOTPaERnpwVW7U=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"url_medium": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/meu1Wze9i5vAmv88XANa3_t18eM=/450x0/smart/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"url_large": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/d_41KRNKI3wv4EZ5B2vuOykc_4k=/800x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"url_xl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/1WF5sVEpSxHrqqCitVq6HM3SqS8=/1200x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"url_xxl": "https://dmcdn.whitebeard.net/i/BLZ5_79NcU3mrRKQoqJHHJFcUbY=/1600x0/smart/filters:strip_exif()/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/grounup-SassaNet1MAIN.jpg",
"type": "image"
}
],
"summary": "Company told to apologise to social grant beneficiaries.",
"template_type": null,
"dm_custom_section_label": null,
"elements": [],
"seo": {
"search_title": "Sassa tells Net1 to retract ‘misleading’ pamphlet",
"search_description": "<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has given Grindrod Bank and Net1 five days to ",
"social_title": "Sassa tells Net1 to retract ‘misleading’ pamphlet",
"social_description": "<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Georgia, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has given Grindrod Bank and Net1 five days to ",
"social_image": ""
},
"cached": true,
"access_allowed": true
} 
This is the Net1/Grindrod Bank advert that Sassa has been told to withdraw.