SASSA’s application to the Constitutional Court is a sign of a dearth of leadership at government level

9 February 2018

COSATU is shocked but not surprised that SASSA has once again applied to the Constitutional Court to illegally extend its CPS social grants contract. SASSA and Minister Bathabile Dlamini are holding not just the Constitutional Court, but the entire nation in contempt. 

The CC has ruled repeatedly that the CPS contract is illegal and the National Treasury has repeatedly told Minister Dlamini this simple fact.  Cabinet has even intervened with a special committee to help SASSA extricate itself from this corrupt alliance with a foreign white monopoly company.

Yet again Minister Dlamini and SASSA are toying with the laws of the republic on this matter. They are obviously  irredeemable and will never come right and it’s time President Cyril Ramaphosa intervenes.  We cannot expect any leadership from President Zuma or hope that he will ever call Minister Bathabile Dlamini to order. 

COSATU is thus calling upon President Ramaphosa and government to do the following with immediate effect:

- Release Minister Dlamini from her responsibilities with immediate effect.

- Overhaul the SASSA leadership.

- Remove the in-sourcing of social grants programme from SASSA’s executive control and place it under the responsibility of the Minister in the Presidency and the Minister of Finance reporting directly to President Ramaphosa.

- Unveil a plan to in-source the paying of social grants to the Post Office and Post Bank.  This plan must come into full effect within 100 calendar days.

- Weekly reports on progress must be made public and submitted to Parliament and the Constitutional Court.

- Minister Dlamini, her family and senior officials in her Ministry and SASSA’s leadership must undergo a lifestyle and forensic audit by the Auditor General and law enforcement agencies to determine if there is no corrupt relationship with CPS.  If this is found to be so, they must be charged, arrested, assets seized and prosecuted.

- SASSA must be re-absorbed into the Department of Social Development.

Issued by Sizwe Pamla, National Spokesperson, COSATU, 9 February 2018