'Incompetent' minister, Sassa get MPs' tongue-lashing

17 May 2017 - 08:36 By Babalo Ndenze
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Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. File photo
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini. File photo
Image: Alaister Russell/Sunday Times

Parliamentarians have ordered the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) to "up its game", accusing its senior managers of incompetence for its shambolic handling of the social grants payment system.

The managers and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Thursday last week to update MPs on their progress regarding the implementation of a Constitutional Court order made in March.

The agency told MPs that current service provider, Cash Paymaster Services, would be replaced within the next 12 months.

But Scopa chairman Themba Godi was not impressed, saying it could not be that the agency was still addressing the matter in "tentative terms''.

  • Sassa asked to explain 'fruitless' court caseThe South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has withdrawn its opposition to Corruption Watch's high court application to have the payment of R317m to Cash Paymaster Services reversed.

"My only problem is that you're speaking in tentative terms," said Godi. "There is something that does not sit well."

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa said in isiZulu: "Kukhona okushaya amanzi" (there is something sinister).

"I must be honest, the CPS deal remains in place for no other reason than the fact that failing to plan is planning to fail," Hlengwa said.

"I will only be convinced by a tangible timeline that says: 'We're here.' Sassa really needs to play ball."

DA MP Tim Brauteseth bemoaned the fact that the agency did not provide any detail in its presentation. "When you engage with us in the future, we want a level of detail. We need to see consequences. Up your game.

"It is this level of incompetence that has led us to where we are."

  • R6 billion - what it will cost for Sassa to take over social grant paymentsThe cost of preparing the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) for taking over the payment of social grants to 17-million beneficiaries will be about R6bn‚ says Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini.

The ANC's Nyami Booi said Scopa would be a thorn in the side of the agency until it improved. He said Sassa could even be called to parliament every week, if need be.

"We are not going to go away here. Parliament is going to hold you accountable," said Booi.

The agency's chief executive Thokozani Magwaza said: "We did say we were going to pay on April 1. It is common cause that April 1 came and we did pay.

"There was no crisis. We did not have much problem paying on April 1."

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE

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