Grant crisis: DA files papers in Constitutional Court

The Democratic Alliance has asked to be an applicant in the social grants case before the Constitutional Court relating to the South Africa Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) failure to prepare for paying social grants to millions of vulnerable citizens from 1 April.

“In just 29 days‚ the current agreement between Sassa and service provider NET1/CPS will come to an end. The dodgy contract with NET1/CPS was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court in 2014‚ and for the last three years [Social Development] Minister Bathabile Dlamini has sat on her hands while the livelihoods of 17 million people hangs in the balance‚” the DA said in a statement on Friday.

The party said the crisis could have been avoided and that it had been created by Dlamini‚ saying that it had been manufactured for corrupt purposes.

The DA said it sought a declaratory order from the court confirming that Dlamini‚ the chief executive of Sassa and the agency violated their duties in terms of sections 165(4) and (5) and section 195 of the Constitution.

It includes a declaration that Dlamini violated her oath of office because she failed to perform the functions of her office with honour‚ dignity and to the best of her ability.

The party charged that Dlamini “does not consider herself to be subject to Parliamentary oversight” and asked the Constitutional Court to order that she and Sassa’s chief executive file responding affidavits within 15 days of this order explaining:

•What steps were taken to comply with the court’s order of April 17 2014;

•When they realised that Sassa would not be in a position to take over from CPS; and

•Whether they at all times kept the National Assembly informed of the true status and progress of the issues raised about the payment of social grants after April 1 2017.

The party also applied to have the court direct Sassa’s chief executive to file an affidavit explaining why he should not be held in contempt of the Constitutional Court’s order of April 17 2014.

“Sassa’s current state of crisis is entirely self-engineered‚ and was easily avoided had the minister shown a shred of commitment to the needs of vulnerable grant dependents‚” it added.