BREAKING: Only one day left to ensure social grants are paid‚ CPS boss warns

If there is no signed deal in place between the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) by Wednesday‚ grants recipients will not be paid on April 1.

That's according to CPS CEO Serge Belamant in a letter filed with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday afternoon. He gave this warning in a letter to Sassa on Friday saying Wednesday was the latest day to finalise the CPS contract if grants were to paid on April 1.

• Gordhan says a solution will be found for SA's social grants crisisFinance minister Pravin Gordhan assured Parliament that social grants will be paid on April 1 saying that between "the executive‚ the judiciary and the administration" a solution would be found within days. 

His letter was filed with the court on Tuesday only minutes after Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini defiantly told parliament that there was no crises with Sassa. She accused opposition parties of manufacturing the crisis as "mere self-serving propaganda and political grandstanding of the highest order".

• We didn’t have enough time – Sassa attorneyThe attorney for SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has responded to a directive from the Chief Justice asking for an explanation on why a deadline to file papers on Monday was not met. 

Yet‚ in his letter court‚ Belamant warns "CPS will not be in a position to commence payment on 1 April".

Belamant writes: "It is imperative that Sassa understands the time frames required for the logistical planning with specific reference to the cash cycle. I attach hereto a schedule of the time frame as well as the activities to facilitate this planning and ensure uninterrupted grant delivery."

• Sassa names and shames officials in ConCourt papersThe SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has finally told the Constitutional Court who the officials were behind some of the major decisions that have lead to the current social grants crisis. 

He said he was extremely concerned about unavoidable and insurmountable delays.

- TMG Digital