Dlamini’s R6bn ‘yet another ploy to keep CPS in place’, says Corruption Watch

Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini provoked outrage this week when she declared to the parliamentary portfolio committee she would need R6 billion and five years to facilitate the handover of grant payments from Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa).

“The figure seems ridiculous. I have no idea what she is talking about,” said David Lewis of Corruption Watch (CW), which has previously called for Dlamini to be removed from her post.

On the same day, Sassa CEO Thokozani Magwaza told the committee he would comply with the Constitutional Court ruling to dump CPS by May next year, although it would take two to three years for Sassa to handle the grant payments by itself.

“They are clearly not even on the same planet. I hope the Sassa calculation is the right calculation.

“This seems so off the wall, you have to conclude this is yet another ploy to keep CPS in place,” said a stunned Lewis.

The organisation yesterday welcomed Sassa’s decision to stop opposing CW’s challenge of the R317 million payment to CPS, following two years of litigation on the matter.

The Democratic Alliance also expressed outrage at Dlamini’s R6 billion proposal, noting that only she knew what this entailed.

READ MORE: 

//

For more news your way, follow The Citizen on Facebook and Twitter.