Dlamini unfit to hold public office and must step down‚ says EFF

The Economic Freedom Fighters has reiterated its call for Minster of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini to resign‚ accusing her of being “intent on violating the provisions of the Constitutional Court and the law by imposing an illegal contract/tender to distribute grants”.

“Minister Bathabile Dlamini has done everything in her power to ensure that the country has no other option but to work with CPS in the distribution of grants despite the court rulings that its contract with CPS is illegal over two years ago‚” the EFF charged in a statement on Sunday.

“According to media reports‚ the SASSA CEO was prevented by Bathabile Dlamini from communicating with the Constitutional Court in terms of its inability to carry out the responsibility to distribute grants. This would have allowed the ConCourt to assess the circumstances through its oversight role and provide remedies within the law.

“However‚ Bathabile Dlamini refused this route because of her commitment to ensure that she puts the whole country under the pressure of time‚ like a gun to our head‚ so that it is only CPS that can distribute grants‚” the EFF added.

It said she had refused all options like local banks and the Post Office to help distribute the grants‚ on which an estimated 17 million South Africans are dependent. .

“Essentially‚ our country’s ability to comply with our constitutional and human rights imperative of providing social grants has been illegally monopolised into the hands of a foreign and white-owned CPS by Bathabile Dlamini. She has made sure to use all her ministerial powers to hold the entire country at ransom and bring us into this unlawful outcome which even is in direct contradiction with professed policies of radical transformation.

 “It is the view of the EFF that the greatest threat we are facing with the SASSA debacle as a country is not so much that grants may not be paid on April 01. The greatest threat is a minister for who is willing to be in contempt of the highest court in the land to keep a corrupt and an illegal contract that benefits their friends‚ families and close comrades‚” the EFF asserted.

 It added: “The defiance of court orders and provisions amounts to violation of oath of office by Minister Bathabile Dlamini. Above all‚ it renders the rule of law and a constitutional order futile. The EFF reiterates that Bathabile Dlamini must step down with immediate effect to avoid rendering our constitutional order into a mockery; her conduct in relation to the SASSA debacle renders her unfit to hold public office.”