Poor left in dark over grants payments

The SA Social Security Agency appears not to have answered the Constitutional Court's questions about why it will not be able to keep its promise to the court that it would take over the payment of social grants from contractor Cash Paymaster Services at the beginning of next month.

The agency had been given until 4pm yesterday to answer the court's questions but seems to have missed the deadline. The registrar's office at the court confirmed at close of business yesterday that it had not received anything on paper in response to the court's request.

Attempts to get clarity from the Office of the Chief Justice and from Sassa were rebuffed.

• Did Sassa answer ConCourt's questions about grant payments fiasco?The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) appears not to have answered the Constitutional Court’s questions about the proposed renewal of the Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) grant payment deal. 

Last week, the Constitutional Court asked the agency to explain why it would not be able to take over the payment of the grants after promising the court that it would. The court also wanted to know who was responsible for deciding that it would not be possible for Sassa itself to make the payments as from April 1, and who knew of this decision, and when.

The existing contract expires at the end of this month and the agency is negotiating to extend the contract with CPS - without following normal tender processes.

• No secrets! No lies! – Right2Know demands answers from SassaIt has been an eventful first day back at work for Sassa CEO Thokozani Magwaza after being on sick leave for more than a week. 

Instead of meeting the 4pm deadline to provide 17 answers explaining what led to the current situation, Sassa appears to have filed papers in response to a different court case brought by NGOs the Black Sash and Freedom Under Law.

In this case, due to be heard tomorrow, the NGOs have asked the Constitutional Court to supervise any deal that Sassa makes to ensure the payment of grants.

• 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 agency has agreed to these requests and has drafted a court order for consideration that would give the court authority to supervise an interim contract for grants payments.

Sassa has said it does not oppose the Black Sash's request and has offered to give quarterly reports on how it would ensure the payment of grants. It suggested that the auditor-general or public protector help the court supervise Sassa's plans for ensuring that social grants were paid.