ANC concerned over social grant payment progress

16 May 2017

The ANC Study Group on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) is concerned with the progress report tabled by the South Africa Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Parliament today. SASSA appeared before SCOPA to deliver a progress report on the current state of affairs regarding the extended contract with the Cash Paymaster Services (CPS).

The report tabled by SASSA showed no indication of any strategic plan by the agency to ensure that they will be ready to take over the payment of social grants at the end of the current extended contract with CPS.

We found this highly disturbing considering the Constitutional Court ruling of 17 March 2017 that SASSA and CPS are under a constitutional obligation to ensure payment of social grants from 1 April 2017 until an entity other than CPS is able to do so. As the ANC, we are very concerned with the slow progress on this matter and reiterate our call for SASSA to speedily facilitate the takeover of social grant payments from CPS.

We are however encouraged by the pending workshop between SASSA and the South African Post Office (SAPO) scheduled fortomorrow to map out possible alternatives to dispensing social grants. We call upon all entities and the Department of Social Development to work together to find a lasting solution to this matter.

Our priority must be the millions of South Africans who are dependent on social grants as a form of social security.

SCOPA has therefore instructed SASSA to appear SCOPA within two weeks to present their plan of action on the matter.

Issued by Mnyamezeli Booi, ANC Chairperson on the Study Group on SCOPA, 16 May 2017