Sassa and Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) must continue paying social grants until another entity which can do so is found, the Constitutional Court ruled on Friday. The declaration of the invalidity of the previous contract between the SA Social Security Agency and CPS would be suspended for 12 months, Justice Johan Froneman read from the order. The terms and conditions in the previous contract would continue to apply.
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini had until March 31 to show why she should not be joined to the proceedings in her personal capacity, and why she should not pay the costs of the application from her own pocket.
If CPS wanted to change how much it got paid, it could approach National Treasury.
Dlamini and Sassa were ordered to file affidavits every three months.
The court gallery was packed to capacity with journalists, lawyers and supporters of the Black Sash.
On Wednesday, the court heard an application by the Black Sash for an order that it exercise supervisory jurisdiction over any new contract to pay social grants and its implementation.
During the hearing, a frustrated Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng asked how Sassa and Dlamini came to display “absolute incompetence” in the way they handled the social grants payment debacle.
[Source: News24]
