Grants contract deal to be announced this week

SOCIAL Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has confirmed to Parliament that details of the new contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) will be announced this week.

Dlamini came under fire from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts yesterday over the grants crisis, and was even forced to sit for the duration of the meeting.

This was after she had earlier asked to be recused to attend a cabinet committee meeting dealing with the grants crisis.

Members of Scopa came out guns blazing, demanding answers on the CPS contract and what led to the crisis.

In a meeting that was sometimes heated between Dlamini and some of the MPs, the minister assured Scopa that grants would be paid on April 1.

This was also confirmed by President Jacob Zuma this week.

Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa also assured Parliament during question time last week that grants would be paid next month.

Another senior official in the Social Security Agency of South Africa, Zodwa Mvulane, assured MPs that debit cards used by beneficiaries to access grants would only expire at the end of December.

This was after EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said information had gone out that the cards would expire at the end of March and that beneficiaries would not get their grants next month.

But Mvulane said the cards would only expire in December.

Dlamini said she did not join the ANC to be a minister.

This was after the EFFs Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called on her to resign.

Zuma also refused to fire her this week and called for calm in South Africa.

Dlamini said that when Sassa started using biometrics it were praised for saving the state R2 billion.

This was after thousands of people, who were illegally receiving grants, were foiled.

She said they had not finalised negotiations with CPS on the contract but an announcement would be made this week.