Sassa paid CPS after the company claimed it had enrolled more grant recipients and beneficiaries than it had been contracted to provides services for.
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Social security staff are in a tizz, fretting that no backup plan is in place to pay grants come April 1
‘The way her version has moved leads one to the conclusion that there has been deception’
The agency admitted in court papers there was no feasible solution to assist around 2.8-million beneficiaries before the April 1 deadline
The tender deadline was originally postponed from February 28, and risks being postponed again.
In court papers, Bhengu said there was still no ‘feasible’ contingency plan that will guarantee cash payments on April 1
The agency will meet the deadline to pay 17-million grant beneficiaries, but it will still need the help of CPS to do so
With less than a month to transfer core components of the scheme to CPS, Sassa has to answer how it will deliver cash-based social grants
The agency has less than a month to fully migrate core components of the grants scheme from Cash Paymaster Services, as ordered by the ConCourt
Roughly 2.8-million beneficiaries will not get their grant payments if the contract with CPS is not extended, the agency argued in court papers.
The agency has 31 days to migrate core components of the grants scheme from CPS to the South African Post Office, as agreed in December last year.
It’s D-day but social grant beneficiaries are in the same place they were a year ago and key questions still remain
A panel of experts expects Sassa to renege on its Constitutional mandate to pay grants to over 10-million recipients.
CPS argues no party during the court process suggested that it should be barred from participating in any future tenders in regards to grant payment.
A panel wants the treasury to take over paying social grants as the agency can’t get its act together
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini this week sought a definition of “meeting” before she could confirm that she had one
During questioning, Bathabile Dlamini contradicted herself, refused to admit simple facts, and failed to answer many crucial questions
In 2015 Dlamini ordered the appointment of work streams, which have cost at least R50 million and have been found to be in breach of procurement rules
As on Monday and Tuesday, Dlamini continued to insist on providing what she deemed important context, but seemed mostly to be irrelevant detail
Under cross-examination the social development minister dodged questions about her ‘work streams’ and her role in the 2017 social grants crisis
The ConCourt appointed Ngoepe to head the inquiry into whether Dlamini should be held personally liable for the costs incurred during Sassa crisis.
Dlamini maintains that there was nothing ”sinister or inappropriate” about her decision to make the ”workstream” leaders report directly to her.
Sassa will for the first time make electronic payments to social grant beneficiaries through its new corporate Postbank account on February 1
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This revelation is contained in documents and correspondence between the embattled SA Social Security Agency and the Net1 subsidiary.
It signed a deal with the Post Office yet at the same time asked that the invalid CPS contract be extended
‘This is the best deal for the state and we have proved that. Whatever the price is, we are paying ourselves’
The Post Office will score just over R2.2-billion a year, according to the agreement.
In the absence of any other options, the Constitutional Court this week again deepened its involvement in the process to keep social grants flowing.
The alternative payments scheme was suggested two weeks ago by the expert panel set up by Sassa and Black Sash under the supervision of the court.
There is a danger that Sassa, under pressure from political principals, will make hasty decisions, with consequences that could be expensive.
Sapo and Sassa have been in a months-long deadlock over the details of a proposal to assist with the new grant scheme but a deal has now been reached
Treasury director general Dondo Mogojane says Sassa jumped the gun by excluding the Post Office from three of the four services Sassa required.