Black Sash Trust wants Concourt to attach conditions to Sassa contract with CPS

The Constitutional Court should attach conditions to the extended social grants contract between the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS).

This is according to the Black Sash Trust in its responding affidavit to Sassa's application to have its contract with CPS extended until September.

The contract Sassa currently has with CPS was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court‚ but it extended it to the end of March after the agency failed to find a new contractor.

In papers filed to the Constitutional Court early this month‚ Sassa said the agency had managed to make arrangements for the payment of social grants to beneficiaries who are not serviced by CPS.

Responding to Sassa's application‚ the Black Sash Trust said it did not oppose the agency's application but asked the court to attach conditions to the extension. These include that the Constitutional Court extend its oversight role and Sassa requirements.

"There should be no cost increase to any grant beneficiaries to access their grants through cash points or any other payment‚" Black Sash said.

The Black Sash Trust also wants CPS to be confined to payment functions for which it is contracted.

"When one has regard to the fact that Sassa apparently has no contingency plan if the relief sought is refused‚ this is yet another transparent attempt to create a fait accompli‚ so as to compel the court to grant it the relief which it seeks‚" the trust says in court papers.

Black Sash said Sassa should provide details of arrangements it has made concerning the protection of beneficiaries' confidential data.

"Sassa provides no detail on how either the proposed CPS cash payment extension‚ or the remainder of its plan‚ will address and prevent unwanted deductions of beneficiaries."