Sassa ‘run like a shop’ by Dlamini
INQUIRY: WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GRANTS CRISIS?
Ex-social development minister ‘held meetings at home with no minutes’.
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini, under whom millions of beneficiaries faced the possibility of not receiving their social grants, should shoulder the responsibility of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) crisis, an inquiry has heard.
Richard Solomon, for former Sassa chief executive Thokozani Magwaza, told retired Judge Bernard Ngoepe that Dlamini sought to absolve herself from taking responsibility and went as far as blaming his client for the debacle.
“We submit that Magwaza and [former director-general and advisor Zane] Dangor, in contrast to her evidence, were forthcoming and very clear.
“Their evidence is corroborated by objective evidence in the form of minutes of meetings and documentation that are, in reality, destructive of the minister’s evidence,” said Solomon.
“The minister has to shoulder and bear the responsibility for the Sassa crisis.
“Her job was to ensure that Sassa takes over payments, there was a great failure on her part.”
The Constitutional Court-mandated inquiry is investigating whether Dlamini should be held liable for the legal costs incurred in the protracted Sassa debacle.
Legal representatives had been presenting their closing arguments, with Ngoepe heading the inquiry.
Dlamini, who has since been appointed minister for women, knew about controversial work streams that were set up in 2015, but withheld such information from the Constitutional Court, said Solomon.
“She ran Sassa almost like a shop, holding meetings at her home with no minutes of most these meetings.
2015 is the year controversial work streams revolving around the South African Social Security Agency were set up.
“It is astonishing that a minister who takes a job seriously would hold such meetings that have no paper trail whatsoever ... that raises eyebrows.”
Vincent Maleka, representing Dangor, said Dlamini’s nondisclosure on the role of the work streams carried serious consequences.
“The reasons advanced by the minister for the nondisclosure are hopelessly inadequate.
“The reason behind that was for her to avoid personal liability at all costs,” he said.
Dlamini, in giving testimony, previously denied allegations that she stifled attempts to phase out the illegal Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) contract, which left the Constitutional Court with no choice last year but to allow an extension of the contract to avoid nonpayment of social grants to millions of beneficiaries.
Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane, previously minister of water and sanitation, said last week that Cabinet had confidence in an interministerial committee, working around the clock to ensure there were no disruptions in social grants payments on April 1.
The committee was polishing the contingency plan should the Constitutional Court reject the second Sassa court application to have the CPS contract extended by six months, said Mokonyane. – ANA