Sassa comes under fire
The ANC is fuming following the failure of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) to produce a strategic plan to take over the payments of social grants after Cashmaster Payment Service’s extended contract ends in March.
This emerged yesterday when Sassa appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) in Parliament to clear up the confusion about its readiness to pay social grants to millions of recipients.
But ANC and other political party representatives were shocked to find out that such a strategy was not in place despite a commitment made by Sassa chief executive Thokozani Magwaza to the Social Development committee that CPS would no longer pay social grants after its extended oneyear contract ends in March.
Adding to the confusion, Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini last week also contradicted Sassa in her submission to the social development committee, saying the government would only be able pay social grants on its own after a period of five years.
Yesterday’s Scopa meeting was intended to clear up the confusion and Scopa members were hoping Sassa was going to allay their fears.
ANC Scopa spokesperson Mnyamezeli Booi said: “The report tabled by Sassa showed no indication of any strategic plan to ensure that they will be ready to take over the payment of social grants at the end of the current extended contract with CPS.
“We found this highly disturbing considering the Constitutional Court ruling of March 17 that Sassa and CPS are under a constitutional obligation to ensure payment of grants until an entity other than CPS is able to do so.”
Scopa has requested Sassa to submit a detailed social grant payment strategy within two weeks.