Thokozani Magwaza agrees to step down as Sassa CEO

The acting CEO of the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) Thokozani Magwaza has resigned from the social grants agency after accepting an exit package from the department of social development, the ministry said on Monday.

According to a statement issued by Minister Bathabile Dlamini’s spokesperson Lumka Oliphant, Magwaza agreed to step down following a consultative process led by the head of legal services, advocate Nkosinathi Dladla, in terms of the provisions of his contract of employment.

“The department would like to thank Mr Magwaza for the role he played as the CEO of Sassa and wish him well in his future endeavours,” Oliphant said.

Magwaza’s resignation follows reports that he was being pressured to accept an exit package and his life was under threat after he cancelled controversial workstream contracts worth R47 million set up by Dlamini during the social grants payment crisis and which were found to be irregular by National Treasury.

Magwaza was also due to testify in a public inquiry into Dlamini’s role during the saga.

Dlamini had partly blamed Magwaza for the crisis that ultimately saw her and her department slammed by the Constitutional Court.

It remains unclear what the conditions of the exit package are.