"Why did you not immediately launch the application if you knew as early as December ... Why did you wait until February to approach this court? You could have come to court and say‚ 'I see danger coming our way‚'" Mogoeng charged.
Cassim said the agency was focusing on the tender process and "they genuinely believed they could get their house in order".
Cassim also told the court that Sassa became aware on December 8 when it concluded a contract with the South African Post Office (Sapo) that the latter would not be able to do part of its job.
"It was only on the 8th of December that they [Sapo] said they don't have infrastructure to carry the cash payment system‚" Cassim said.