DA calls for Public Protector to investigate SASSA CEO cronyism

The DA will write to the Public Protector, Adv Thuli Madonsela, requesting that she investigate recent allegations of cronyism and corruption by the CEO of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Virginia Peterson.

According to the Sunday Times today she employed a family friend as an intern at SASSA, unilaterally doubled their salary and promoted them without due process. The same article alleges that Peterson not only employed another under-qualified candidate she had a personal relationship with to a managerial position, but also raised their salary and provided them with a lavish monthly "ministerial allowance".

This is certainly not the first time Peterson has been implicated in an employment scandal. Previously she was implicated in the in the appointment of her friend, Renay Ogle, to the post of fraud and compliance manager within SASSA after ‘relaxing' the job requirements for them.

Last year the Constitutional Court judgment found that by awarding a SASSA grant distribution tender to Cash Paymaster Services, Ms Peterson, and the Adjudication Committee failed to ensure due diligence during the tender awarding process.

SASSA is meant to enrich the lives of millions of South Africans in need, however it would appear that as CEO Ms Peterson has only been using it to enrich her own and those around her.

Ms Peterson is clearly not fit for purpose and needs to be thoroughly investigated and removed from her position pending the outcome of an investigation.

Statement issued by Mike Waters MP, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, May 25 2014

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