Former SA Social Security Agency boss Thokozani Magwaza is adamant that he was never defiant towards Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini when he worked at the agency.
Magwaza’s stance is in direct contract to claims made Dlamini earlier this week at an inquiry into her role in the social grants crisis. She had said that the trouble at SASSA started when Magwaza assumed the position of chief executive. Dlaimini told the inquiry that Magwaza had threatened to terminate the contracts of the workstreams before he even assumed the top post.
The inquiry kicked off on Monday and is a directive of the Constitutional Court‚ which ordered that an inquiry be established to set out Dlamini’s roles and responsibilities as social development minister.
The court ordered that all parties involved in the matter appoint a judge to investigate whether Dlamini should be held liable for the grants saga.
Retired Judge Bernard Ngoepe is heading the inquiry.
The Black Sash Trust approached the court in March after the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) acknowledged it would not be able to pay millions of grants from April 1‚ despite promising the court in November 2015 it would do so. Dlamini had set up the workstreams to execute the payment of social grants.
On Friday‚ Magwaza told the inquiry that the only thing Dlamini could possibly interpret as defiant was him not being present at meetings she held at SASSA – meetings he only missed because he was attending other meetings at the same time.
"She would just pitch up and come without informing me. She would come when I was in other meetings. It was not to defy her.
"I worked with her. We travelled together for hours. I don’t understand why she said I was defiant and did not want to work with her.
"We wanted to make sure that come sure that come April 1 [2017]‚we would be able to pay grants."
He told the inquiry that Dlamini had also threatened him with his job when he refused to sign a letter‚ dated December 2106‚ from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) informing SASSA that they would not administer the payment of grants if the agency did not extend their contract.
The hearings continue.
Former SASSA boss denies being defiant of Dlamini
Image: Simphiwe Nkwali
Former SA Social Security Agency boss Thokozani Magwaza is adamant that he was never defiant towards Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini when he worked at the agency.
Magwaza’s stance is in direct contract to claims made Dlamini earlier this week at an inquiry into her role in the social grants crisis. She had said that the trouble at SASSA started when Magwaza assumed the position of chief executive. Dlaimini told the inquiry that Magwaza had threatened to terminate the contracts of the workstreams before he even assumed the top post.
The inquiry kicked off on Monday and is a directive of the Constitutional Court‚ which ordered that an inquiry be established to set out Dlamini’s roles and responsibilities as social development minister.
The court ordered that all parties involved in the matter appoint a judge to investigate whether Dlamini should be held liable for the grants saga.
Retired Judge Bernard Ngoepe is heading the inquiry.
The Black Sash Trust approached the court in March after the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) acknowledged it would not be able to pay millions of grants from April 1‚ despite promising the court in November 2015 it would do so. Dlamini had set up the workstreams to execute the payment of social grants.
On Friday‚ Magwaza told the inquiry that the only thing Dlamini could possibly interpret as defiant was him not being present at meetings she held at SASSA – meetings he only missed because he was attending other meetings at the same time.
"She would just pitch up and come without informing me. She would come when I was in other meetings. It was not to defy her.
"I worked with her. We travelled together for hours. I don’t understand why she said I was defiant and did not want to work with her.
"We wanted to make sure that come sure that come April 1 [2017]‚we would be able to pay grants."
He told the inquiry that Dlamini had also threatened him with his job when he refused to sign a letter‚ dated December 2106‚ from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) informing SASSA that they would not administer the payment of grants if the agency did not extend their contract.
The hearings continue.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos