The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has withdrawn its opposition to Corruption Watch’s high court application to have the payment of R317m to Cash Paymaster Services reversed.
Corruption Watch lodged the application in the High Court in Pretoria in 2015‚ asking the court to review and set aside the decision taken by then Sassa CEO Virginia Petersen to pay the money to CPS.
A recent Constitutional Court ruling halted Sassa from entering into a new two-year contract with CPS for the administering of social grants. The court has ruled that Sassa only be allowed to continue its contract with the company until April next year.
Corruption Watch on Friday welcomed Sassa’s decision to withdraw its challenge to the matter but also condemned the “prolongation of its pointless opposition“.
Corruption Watch said it was a waste of public resources‚ following two years of litigation.
The organisation’s David Lewis said Corruption Watch has asked Sassa to provide reasons for its withdrawal‚ but there has been no response.
“We will ask the court to order the officials responsible for deciding to defend this action to pay costs out of their own pocket‚” he said.
“CW considers Sassa’s pursuit of the matter to date as a flagrant abuse of public resources and one more example of the state’s willingness to abuse taxpayers’ money by engaging in costly and fruitless litigation.”
Corruption Watch has also written to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to request that it enquire into the matter.
Sassa asked to explain 'fruitless' court case
The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has withdrawn its opposition to Corruption Watch’s high court application to have the payment of R317m to Cash Paymaster Services reversed.
Corruption Watch lodged the application in the High Court in Pretoria in 2015‚ asking the court to review and set aside the decision taken by then Sassa CEO Virginia Petersen to pay the money to CPS.
A recent Constitutional Court ruling halted Sassa from entering into a new two-year contract with CPS for the administering of social grants. The court has ruled that Sassa only be allowed to continue its contract with the company until April next year.
Corruption Watch on Friday welcomed Sassa’s decision to withdraw its challenge to the matter but also condemned the “prolongation of its pointless opposition“.
Corruption Watch said it was a waste of public resources‚ following two years of litigation.
The organisation’s David Lewis said Corruption Watch has asked Sassa to provide reasons for its withdrawal‚ but there has been no response.
“We will ask the court to order the officials responsible for deciding to defend this action to pay costs out of their own pocket‚” he said.
“CW considers Sassa’s pursuit of the matter to date as a flagrant abuse of public resources and one more example of the state’s willingness to abuse taxpayers’ money by engaging in costly and fruitless litigation.”
Corruption Watch has also written to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) to request that it enquire into the matter.
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