R350 Queue Marshalls: Mthatha Residents Forced to Pay a Fee to Jump the Grant Queue

• Reports state that recipients of the R350 social grant are being made to pay up some of their grant money to move up the queue
• A group of residents in Mthatha have dubbed themselves the 'R350 queue marshals' and are threatening beneficiaries for spots in the queue
• The group says they are not forcing anyone to pay them but they have created jobs for themselves

MTHATHA - The long queues to collect the Social Relief of Distress Grant in Mthatha has become so frustrating that beneficiaries have resorted to paying a fee of up R100 just so they can be pushed ahead of the line.

A group of residents and security guards are to be behind the scheme that has been previously condemned by the South African Post Office.

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The members of the group have dubbed themselves the R350 queue marshalls and carry around weapons such as sjamboks and knobkerries which they use to threaten anyone who refuses to participate in the scheme, reports News24.

The 'queue marshalls' also sell the first 100 spots to residents who arrive late at the Post Office.

The Daily Maverick reports that the queue marshals have been taking advantage of the fact that other post offices nearby can only accommodate 80 people per day.

Mongezi Mayo, the head of the 'queue marshals' says they are simply creating employment for themselves as well as protecting beneficiaries from drug addicts who hang around the queues and harass them.

The group is made up of 25 people and eight of them are women.

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Here's what South Africans had to say about what's happening in Mthatha:

@mbuso_siera said:

"It's happening across SA Post Offices not in Mthatha only, the Security Guards and so-called Marshals work with the post office staff, R50 is deducted and the notion is you did not work for this money, They cut off queueing lines, claiming they ran out of cash or they offline!"

Pat30002027 said:

"People who can afford to use a third of their grant to jump the queue aren't dependent on the grant. Probably government workers with a side hustle of claiming undeserved grants."

@restshishonga said:

"It's total wrong because for some CITIZENS that R350 is the only source of income in the FAMILY.CITIZENS must stop the opportunist mentality of enriching themselves by bankrupting others.Thats how modernized THIEVES operate and it is UNHEALTHY and UNCOSTITUTIONAL.Ndi Mutavhatsindi"

@pholasgp said:

"In the midst of hunger and desperation theres bound to be chaos... It's no surprise..."

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Post Office urges R350 grant recipients not to pay for a spot in the queue

Briefly News previously reported that the South African Post Office has made a plea to recipients of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant to not make any payments towards being moved to the front of the queue at the post office when collecting their grant.

This call comes after a trend of self-appointed queue marshals at various branches who ask people to pay money to be pushed to the front of the line, according to The Citizen.

In a statement issued by SAPO spokesperson Nobuhle Njapha stated that Sapo employees are also not permitted to demand a fee from recipients. People who are approached to pay a fee have been encouraged to report incidents to the police.

Source: Briefly News