It has been an eventful first day back at work for Sassa CEO Thokozani Magwaza after being on sick leave for more than a week.
On Monday morning‚ civil rights organisation Right2Know staged a picket outside the Pretoria offices of the agency.
Some carried signs that read "Pay our grannies" and "Dlamini must go"‚ a reference to Social Development Minister‚ Bathabile Dlamini.
- Sassa CEO back at work and ready for actionThokozani Magwaza‚ the CEO of the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa)‚ was back at work on Monday‚ following recent speculation about his future.
Magwaza accepted a memorandum of demands which were:
∙ All social grants be paid in full and on time on April 1 and there must be no more unlawful deductions. ∙ Sassa must insource the payments of all grants as it has had three years since the Constitutional Court ruled the Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) contract was invalid. ∙ Minister Dlamini must go as she has flouted her responsibility to the poorest and most vulnerable. She must resign or be fired.
The memorandum also affirmed Right2Know’s support of an urgent application to the Constitutional Court by another civil rights organisation Black Sash‚ which seeks to gain clarity on whether any new deal with CPS "will not disadvantage the country and grant beneficiaries for many months to come".
- South Africa’s grant scandal exposes myths about how the state should run thingsThe social grants scandal rocking South Africa has been greeted with understandable shock. It’s also challenged two popular ideas about how government should operate.
The case is due to be heard on 15 March. The court gave Sassa and Minister Dlamini a deadline of 4pm today to respond to questions surrounding the grants crisis.
Sassa spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi on Monday confirmed to TimesLIVE that Magwaza was at work and ready to resume the duties of CEO as normal.
“Yes‚ he is at work‚” Letsatsi said. “He is ready to resume his duties as normal.”
Magwaza’s ill health was reportedly directly linked to the grants crisis.
- D-Day for Dlamini to explain grants crisis to Constitutional CourtThe Department of Social Development has until 4pm on Monday to explain to the Constitutional Court how social grants will be distributed from next month.
Letsatsi also confirmed that Sassa would by close of business today (4pm) file requested papers with the Constitutional Court.
“You cannot defy the rule of law‚” he said.
- TMG Digital
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