The Constitutional Court has asked the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to provide it with answers relating to its failure to pay grants from April 1.
The court discharged its supervisory jurisdiction in the case of the payment of grants‚ when Sassa filed a progress report on November 5‚ 2015‚ stating that it would assume paying grants on its own from April 2017.
However‚ Sassa and the Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini informed the court in a “follow-up report” on March 3 that Sassa would not be able to pay the grants itself and there was no new contractor in place.
Now‚ in court directions issued by the court dated Wednesday‚ March 8‚ it has asked who was the person responsible for determining‚ on behalf of Sassa‚ whether the agency would not be able to pay the grants by the end of March.
The court also wanted to know the date when that person became aware of the fact and the reason why the court was not immediately informed.
In addition‚ the court wanted to find out whether Sassa had entered into any agreement with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) in relation to the payment of grants from April 1. The court wanted full details of the agreement.
The court said in view of Dlamini’s and Sassa’s acceptance of responsibility for delays in addressing the matter‚ it wanted to find if Sassa or the minister had any objection to independent monitoring of any agreement Sassa might have entered CPS for the payment of grants from April 1 this year.
The court requires answers to these questions by no later than 4pm on Monday afternoon. — TMG Digital
Constitutional Court wants answers from Sassa‚ department on payment of grants
The Constitutional Court has asked the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to provide it with answers relating to its failure to pay grants from April 1.
The court discharged its supervisory jurisdiction in the case of the payment of grants‚ when Sassa filed a progress report on November 5‚ 2015‚ stating that it would assume paying grants on its own from April 2017.
However‚ Sassa and the Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini informed the court in a “follow-up report” on March 3 that Sassa would not be able to pay the grants itself and there was no new contractor in place.
Now‚ in court directions issued by the court dated Wednesday‚ March 8‚ it has asked who was the person responsible for determining‚ on behalf of Sassa‚ whether the agency would not be able to pay the grants by the end of March.
The court also wanted to know the date when that person became aware of the fact and the reason why the court was not immediately informed.
In addition‚ the court wanted to find out whether Sassa had entered into any agreement with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) in relation to the payment of grants from April 1. The court wanted full details of the agreement.
The court said in view of Dlamini’s and Sassa’s acceptance of responsibility for delays in addressing the matter‚ it wanted to find if Sassa or the minister had any objection to independent monitoring of any agreement Sassa might have entered CPS for the payment of grants from April 1 this year.
The court requires answers to these questions by no later than 4pm on Monday afternoon. — TMG Digital
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