Grants will be paid on time – Zuma

“My problem with that issue is that people are making judgement before the date, they are saying many many things and I don’t think it’s right, just exciting the country,” Zuma said.

He was speaking at the Union Buildings after his presidential co-coordinating council meeting with ministers, premieres and local government officials.

Zuma said he had a meeting with Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, and the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, to come up with a solution for the social pension grants debacle.

Dlamini who appeared in parliament on Tuesday, before the standing committee on public accounts admitted that she has yet to secure the approval of National Treasury to sign a new contract with Cash Paymaster Services.

However, Zuma told journalist that people should be calm because grants will be definitely paid on April 1.

The president said if grants were not paid, actions would be taken against those responsible

“I think the country should be calm on this matter…I’ve instructed two ministers to make sure that it happens,” he said.

“There’s nothing that it should not happen, if that is the case you will realise what will happen.”

Zuma mentioned that the meeting also focused on immigration which was promted by the recent xhenophobic violence, he reiterated that South Africa is not xenophobic.

“It’s crime basically, its crime and the competition for resources…It’s not correct for us to jump into a conclusion which is an easy conclusion to make,” he said.

“I’m making a comparison, Europe doesn’t want people from Africa, from Middle East, they don’t want them, it’s a huge issue. Nobody not a single one of us is saying Europe is Xenophobic, why aren’t we saying so.”

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