Black Sash fights for grant payment, confidentiality of data

There is an urgent application in the Constitutional Court today in a bid to ensure 17 million of South Africa’s most vulnerable receive their social grants come April 1. Black Sash Trust is bringing the application in a bid to ensure Sassa continues its relationship with CPS, but on terms which are not harmful or exploitative of the grant system and its beneficiaries. It also aims to safeguard beneficiaries in that their personal data is owned by Sassa and is kept confidential, leaving no room for marketing purposes. Freedom Under Law (FUL) has also lodged an application for leave to intervene. Respondents in the matter include Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, Sassa and its CEO Thokozani Magwaza, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and the National Treasury, CPS, and the information regulator. FUL’s application is to be heard simultaneously today. Black Sash Trust said: “We can only hope to avoid more harm by ensuring that the contract going forward is not negotiated on terms only favourable to CPS and instead protects the constitutional rights of the people it is meant to benefit. “The emergency situation created demonstrates that the minister... does not have adequate oversight over Sassa. Black Sash is, therefore, also requesting that the Constitutional Court re-establish its oversight in respect of the process of social grant payments.”