Johannesburg – Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini on Sunday gave assurances that social grants would be paid as usual to the more than 17 million beneficiaries at the beginning of April.
However, only those who are paid via their bank accounts will receive their social grants on April 1. Those who usually collect grants at South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) pension paypoints will be able to do so only on April 3.
“All is on track for the payment of grants from April 1,” Dlamini’s spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said.
As the first of the month was on a Saturday, Sassa paypoints would not be open on that day.
“On April 3, Sassa paypoints will operate as normal, and recipients are encouraged to go on their respective days to respective paypoints as indicated on the slips they received last month,” Oliphant said.
However, special provision would be made for the busiest merchants and ATMs.
Regional executive managers would be deployed to monitor and assist beneficiaries with enquiries.
“A letter to the national police commissioner has been sent for a request to increase police visibility across the country,” Oliphant said.
“The department emphasises that normal business processes will continue. Any form of lapsing or suspensions that may occur may not imply a failure to pay by Sassa,” she added.
There had been anxiety and fears that pension grant beneficiaries could be left without cash on April 1 because the contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) was meant to expire on Friday.
The Constitutional Court had declared the contract invalid, but it allowed CPS to continue to make pension grant payments.
The department was expected to have taken over the pension grant payments or to have appointed another company to do so. But it could not keep this undertaking that it made to the court.
Attempts by the department to extend the contract were refused by National Treasury, which said that to do so would be in contempt of the Constitutional Court.
However, the court extended the contract for 12 months and gave Dlamini until March 31 to explain why she should not be personally liable for court costs.
The court had ordered that the National Treasury grant deviation to allow the contract to be extended and that the department appraise the court every three months on progress made to take over the payment of grants.
Soon after the Constitutional Court ruling, President Jacob Zuma, who refused to fire Dlamini over the saga, took over the leadership of an inter-ministerial committee overlooking the matter.
“Beyond the important directive from the Constitutional Court, the committee will also focus on comprehensive social security reforms with a view to addressing the gaps and weaknesses identified and ensuring the provision of a comprehensive social security for all,” Zuma said at the time.
On Sunday, DA spokesperson Bridget Masango said her party welcomed Dlamini’s statement on plans regarding the payment of the grant on April 1.
“We wish it didn’t go the way it has. We believe that everything will be done as it was ordered by the Constitutional Court in the best interests of the 17 million beneficiaries," Masango said.
“We hope it will go well, but we are of the view this (April 1) is not the end of the matter. There still needs to be investigation. So much resources have been wasted on a saga that should not have taken place,” she said.
Dlamini again apologised for the anxiety caused by the saga.
“The minister wishes to reiterate her unreserved apology," Oliphant said.