Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed full confidence in the Constitutional Court to find a solution to the grants crisis.
Ramaphosa said the government had faith in the ability of the judges of the highest court in the land to dispense a most important ruling on the crisis in the next few days.
The Constitutional Court ruled in 2014 that the Cash Paymaster Services contract was invalid, and the Department of Social Development and the South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa) had to find a new service provider.
However, this week Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini told the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) that five companies bid for the tender in 2015, but two had later withdrawn and the other three did not qualify.
Ramaphosa, who was answering questions in the National Assembly yesterday, said the grants crisis would be resolved by the Constitutional Court.
It had entered the scene and the matter would be dealt with at the highest level. The Constitutional Court had dealt with the matter in the past, and it would be able to address the problem.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said 17 million beneficiaries faced a crisis if they did not get their grants on April 1.
Mkhuleko Hlengwa of the IFP said that when Dlamini appeared before Scopa this week, she had left them with more questions than answers. Ramaphosa said it was a pity the IFP and DA were not satisfied with the answers of the minister in Scopa.
What ought to ring in the minds of MPs, he said, was that a solution was needed urgently.
UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said Dlamini had gone against Parliament and the Constitutional Court by not resolving the problem after the 2014 judgment.
He said consideration had to be given to axing her from the cabinet, but Ramaphosa said this was the prerogative of President Jacob Zuma. The constitution was clear that members of the executive were appointed by the president. He had powers to hire and fire ministers.
The Constitutional Court has demanded answers from the Department of Social Development and Sassa, and the matter will be heard in court on Monday.