Knives still out for Bhengu

SOME political parties still want former South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) Pearl Bhengu to be held accountable for the social grant payment crisis.

This is after after Sassa announced on Wednesday that Bhengu has left the entity after several years “to pursue other career avenues”.

Yesterday, the DA’s Bridget Masango said her party welcomed Bhengu’s resignation.

“However, we would like her to be held to account for her role in the Sassa saga as per the judgment of the Constitutional Court,” Masango said.

Bhengu was ordered by the Concourt in August 2017 to pay the costs of an urgent application to extend Sassa’s contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS).

This was after Sassa approached the court in March 2017 to request for an extension of the CPS contract.

Bhengu, who had been acting at the time as Sassa chief executive, was replaced by chief information officer Abraham Mahlangu when she requested to return to her previous position in KwaZulu-Natal.

Prior to her secondment as chief executive she was implicated in irregularly authorising the awarding of a tender where supply chain processes were not followed.

IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa said they were not surprised that modus operandi of persons implicated in corruption.

“When they feel the heat and are confronted, they run away. That is a shortcoming in the state machinery,” Hlengwa said.

Zoleka Capa, chairperson of the social development portfolio committee, said Bhengu has been a young and promising manager.

“I think it was going to be difficult for her… her integrity, (as she was) the face of Sassa.

“Even if she was not implicated… she has done a good thing by stepping aside,” Capa said.

Bhengu could not be reached for comment.