Sassa meets ConCourt deadline

The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has met its deadline to file papers with the Constitutional Court.

A source at the court told Timeslive that the papers were filed electronically‚ even though legal papers are meant to be filed in hard copy and electronically.

Office of the Chief Justice spokesman Nathi Mncube later confirmed this

"There was a document electronically filed by Sassa. I'm not at liberty to discuss details of papers filed with the court‚" he said.

The Constitutional Court last week demanded an answer as to why Sassa was not ready to pay grants on April 1.

• 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 highest court in the land also asked if Sassa had entered a new contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to pay social grants. It wants to see the new contract.

There have been suggestions a new and illegal contract with CPS could cost billions more.

• SASSA expected to provide answers to court about its inability to pay grantsThe public will this week get more details about the South African Social Agency's (SASSA's) inability to pay grant recipients on its own.

The court ruled in 2014 that the initial contract was unlawful and a new contract with a new entity must be in place from April 2017.

Sassa had told the court in four legal filings during 2014 and 2015 that it would be ready to pay its the grants from this year. The court wants to know why it is not ready and who is to blame for the mess.

- TMG Digital