“Sassa is holding ConCourt hostage”
Agency seeks extension for CPS to pay grants
The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) is holding the Constitutional Court hostage by arguing there will be chaos in the country on April 1 if the Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) contract was not extended by another six months.
This was the view of Justice Sisi Khampepe in the Constitutional Court yesterday. Sassa filed papers in the court asking for a six month extension of its R120-billion contract with CPS to distribute social grants.
The CPS contract expires at the end of this month. The South African Post Office is due to start distributing social grants from April 1.
Nazeer Cassim, who represented Sassa, told the court that there would be chaos if the CPS contract was not extended.
Khampepe fired the salvo at Cassim following his submission.
She said: “It is a cause for concern that Sassa comes to this court always like blackmailing this court that if you are not giving an extension then more than two million beneficiaries will suffer.”
In response, Cassim said this was the reality that Sassa finds itself in.
A court ruling in 2014 found the social grants contract between CPS and Sassa was unlawful and ordered Sassa to find a new company to pay grants. Last year, the court suspended the order of invalidity until March 31 to allow Sassa and social development department to find a new service provider.
“Nothing has been achieved. The court is still been approached after so many years of saying ‘this is unlawful,’” a visibly angry Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng said.
Mogoeng said it was very sad that unlawfulness continued to perpetuate.
“It is like we are being laughed at by Sassa and CPS. What is even sad is that there is no explanation.”
Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo also accused the Department of Social Development of having an “I don’t care” attitude.
“We don’t get the sense that Sassa or the department deals with issues properly.”
Sassa discovered in December that there was a need for an extension but it was seeking an urgent interlocutory application now.
Zondo said: “There seems to be an attitude of no urgency in dealing with issues. It is as if the attitude is the court has no choice but it will give us what we want. This attitude is a cause for concern.”
In his state of the nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed that he would ensure no person in government undermined deadlines set by court.
“Social grants remain a vital lifeline for millions of our people living in poverty. We will take decisive steps to comply with all directions of the Constitutional Court.”
Sassa spokesman Paseka Letsatsi said the court should be given time to make a determination.
“I am just appealing that we give the processes a chance.”
The court has reserved judgement.