Sassa’s cash merry-go-round

April 2014: The contract between the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) is declared invalid by the Constitutional Court. The court suspends its declaration until the expiry of the contract in March 2017.

November 2015: Sassa details its plans to take over the payment function itself, after March 2017, to the Constitutional Court.

April 2016: Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini tells the Constitutional Court that Sassa would not be able to take over payment of grants from CPS.

February 1, 2017: Dlamini asks then finance minister Pravin Gordhan to support Sassa’s proposed interim arrangements with CPS. Gordhan refers the matter back to the Constitutional Court for approval.

March 1, 2017: Sassa negotiates a new contract with CPS to distribute grants after April 1. An agreement is reached within three days.

March 3, 2017: Sassa plans to extend their contract with CPS for at least three years, with CPS set to pocket approximately R425 million a month, based on their fee of R25 for each of the 17 million beneficiaries.

March 8, 2017: The Constitutional Court asks Dlamini to report back on Sassa’s plans with regards to the payment of social grants come April 1.

March 14, 2017: Gordhan tells Scopa that court decisions are binding and the contract with CPS was declared unlawful. He rejects the extension of the CPS contract.

March 15, 2017: Sassa, the minister of social development, civic organisation Black Sash and CPS appear before the Constitutional Court.

September 18, 2017: Sassa asks Treasury for additional funding, in order to comply with the Constitutional Court order to replace CPS.

October 30, 2017:- Dlamini slams suggestions that the SA Post Office (Sapo) would issue Sassa grants, saying Sapo doesn’t have the capacity

November 1, 2017 : Sassa and Sapo are forced to negotiate a deal for Sapo to take over the payment of grants by the end of the day. March 6, 2018: Return to square one.