THE controversy over the crisis facing the Department of Social Development and its ability to pay more than 17 million beneficiaries next month has caused a national outcry and left many beneficiaries, thousands of whom currently live on the Berea and surrounding areas of eThekwini and who rely on their grants to survive, anxious and stressed over whether their grants will be paid at the end of the month.
According to reports, what should have been routine governance business to invite service providers to bid for the distribution of social grants to 17 million beneficiaries, has now become a crisis.
The SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) and the Department of Social Development (DSD) had four years to appoint a service provider after the Constitutional Court declared the current contract with Cash Paymaster Service (CPS) was irregular and invalid. However, with less than a month left before the contract lapses, no moves have been made to secure an alternative service provider resulting in cries for the Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to be axed.
Dlamini has faced a storm over her handling of the grants debacle over the past week, with opposition parties, human rights groups, NGOs and cabinet demanding answers. She also failed to appear before Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts to explain what plan she had in place to ensure social grants would be distributed next month. In the most recent media reports, Dlamini reportedly said she was not laying the blame on SASSA officials for the looming social grants crisis, but had taken responsibility herself.
Earlier this week, Councillor Martin Meyer said the crisiss facing the beneficiaries of social grants, if the grants were not paid in time, could not be underestimated.
“I am very concerned about the impact it will have. I have spoken to Bill Buchanan and other homes and they are all concerned about the well-being of their residents and their own ability to provide for their residents if the grants are not paid at the end of the month. There are also many elderly people in the ward, as well as disabled people and mothers who relay on the child support grant who will not be able to pay rent, buy food and so forth if the grants are not paid,” he said.
Meyer said it appeared the minister had failed in her Constitutional duty, and should be held to account.
“I urge residents to contact the Presidential hotline and insist that the President fire the non-caring minister,” he said.
The Presidential hotline can be reached at Call Centre: 17737, email: President@presidency.gov.za.
His sentiments were echoed by the Chief Operating Officer of Essenwood Residential home who said the situation that had now arisen was at odds with the concept of a developmental state. “We are concerned about the possibility of non-payment of SASSA grants – not only for our own residents, but for the 17 million less fortunate and vulnerable across South Africa. The emotional and financial stress on beneficiaries, their families and the under resourced non-governmental organisations who care for them is untenable. Although we care for the elderly, we stand in solidarity with other vulnerable groups including our country’s children and the disabled.”
Colonel Keith Conrad of the Salvation Army Southern Africa said the homes for the elderly, and vulnerable under its care would be severely impacted should social grants not materialise.
“Despite assurances given by the Minister of Social Development it is not at all clear that comprehensive and plans are in place to ensure that social grants are paid out on 1 April,” Colonel Conrad said.
“The poorest of the poor simply do not have the capacity to absorb even one day’s delay in payment of their grants. For them, this will be disastrous. Some of these people live in the most remote of South Africa’s rural areas. Their survival is from one grant payment day to the next. Any delay at all causes huge hardship,” he said.
