A heartbreaking incident has left a family devastated after a young child passed away while waiting with his mother in a queue outside a South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) office in Bellville, Western Cape.
The tragic event occurred on Tuesday, 19 February 2026, as the mother stood in line at the Bellville Sassa offices to access social grant services. According to reports, the child suddenly became critically ill while they were waiting outside the building.
Western Cape Sassa spokesperson Shivani Wahab confirmed the incident and expressed the agency’s deep sorrow over what had happened.
“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,” Wahab said.
What began as a routine visit quickly escalated into a medical emergency. While standing in the queue, the mother alerted Sassa officials that her child was seriously ill. Staff members reportedly responded immediately by contacting emergency medical services for assistance.
However, when it became clear that paramedics would not arrive quickly enough, Sassa officials took further action. In what Wahab described as acting in the best interest of the child, staff members assisted the mother by transporting both her and the child to the nearest clinic for urgent medical attention.
Upon arrival at the healthcare facility, the child was admitted to the emergency room. Despite the efforts of medical personnel, the child sadly did not survive.
“It’s with deep sadness that we have since been informed that the child has passed away,” Wahab confirmed.
The agency has extended its heartfelt condolences to the grieving family during what it described as an extremely difficult time. Wahab added that Sassa remains committed to ensuring that beneficiaries are assisted safely and with care when visiting its offices.
The tragedy in Bellville comes just days after another death was linked to a Sassa office in the Western Cape. Last week, a beneficiary died outside the Sassa office in Paarl. According to the agency, that individual had already been assisted inside the office and had concluded their business before the incident occurred.
“Emergency services were immediately contacted, and assistance was rendered. However, the client was unfortunately declared deceased at the scene,” Sassa said in a statement regarding the Paarl incident.
The agency clarified that the death did not take place inside the office building and reiterated that the client had already completed their engagement with Sassa before the emergency unfolded.
Following both incidents, Sassa extended condolences to the affected families and requested privacy for those grieving. The back-to-back tragedies have raised concern among communities about the conditions under which beneficiaries wait for essential services, especially vulnerable individuals such as children and the elderly.
As investigations and internal reviews continue, families and community members are left mourning the loss of lives connected to what should have been ordinary visits for social support services.
About the Author
