Human Rights Commission must act on complaint against hapless Minister Lindiwe Zulu 

18 January 2024

The DA in the Western Cape laid a complaint to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on 10 September 2023, the response was that a legal officer would be in contact in due course. Four months later there still has not been any feedback on its investigation into the persistent issue surrounding the disbursement of social grants by SASSA.

The new year has just started and SASSA is already making headlines in the worst way for once again letting down our most vulnerable, with the failure of January 2024 social grant payments leaving more than 18,000 social grant beneficiaries in distress.

SASSA further continues to be marked by chaos with the social grants that have been paid to deceased beneficiaries over the past three years.

DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development Dan Plato says: “We urge the SAHRC to take this matter seriously as these perpetual payment failures and mismanagement impact South Africa’s most vulnerable residents. Our poor, elderly and disabled residents are disproportionately affected and suffer the consequences.”

“The current minister is clearly incompetent and does not care about the people she is entrusted to represent. It is time Minister Lindiwe Zulu was replaced by a competent Minister with a vision to steer the Department of Social Development in the right direction.”

Issued by Dan Plato, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Social Development, 18 January 2024