THE Black Sash, together with its civil society partners and grant beneficiaries held a silent protest on Monday, 17 October opposite Grindrod Mews on Magaret Mncadi (Victoria Embankment) a part of their “Hands Off Our Grants” campaign to stop unauthorized debit deductions.
Elroy Paulus, national advocacy manager and Black Sash spokesman told Berea Mail the aim of the protest was to challenge regulations promulgated in May this year. “We want to close the loophole which allows deductions of child support and other grants from accounts. We are also standing in solidarity with those pursuing justice in the four court cases to be heard this week in the High Court in Pretoria.
“The Department of Social Development published new regulations to the Social Assistance Act in May 2016, to stop the flood of unauthorised, unlawful and fraudulent deductions from the SASSA bank accounts and protect social grants from exploitation. Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and Grindrod Bank were instructed to remove the debit order facility and stop all deductions from the SASSA bank accounts.
However, in June 2016 Net1 (parent company of CPS), some of its subsidiaries (Moneyline, Manje Mobile and Smartlife) as well as a few other companies initiated four legal cases against SASSA, the Department of Social Development and others. These companies question government’s interpretation of the new regulations, particularly the protected ring fenced bank account. They furthermore ask the court to declare the new regulations unconstitutional,” he explained.
Paulus said Black Sash and six co-applicants have asked the High Court for the right to intervene in the four cases against SASSA and the Department of Social Development. It is asking the court to order that the Minister publish regulations to protect social grants from exploitation.
Thabane Miya, KZN co-ordinator of Right 2 Know said they were standing in solidarity with Black Sash. As R2K we identify and support community struggle and feel the exploitation of pensioners and disability grantees has been a problem for decades and this exploitation continues adding another layer of corruption!”
