Cape Town – Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu confirmed on Wednesday that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and the City of Cape Town were investigating the conduct of the police after grant recipients were water-bombed in Bellville last Friday.
Zulu also told MPs that she did not run away from the ensuing chaos as alleged by opposition parties.
But DA MP Bridget Masango denied issuing a statement on Wednesday, while the portfolio committee on social development was meeting with Zulu, that the minister had fled the scene in Bellville.
MPs wanted to know what action would be taken after the police sprayed hundreds of people at a paypoint.
The department of social development and the South African Security Agency (Sassa) told members of Parliament that the office in Bellville had been closed early this week due to a Covid-19 case.
However, plans were now being put in place to address the issue of long queues at Sassa paypoints across the country to avoid chaos.
Sassa said there was another incident in Durban on Tuesday during the payout of social grants.
Zulu said the issue of the police conduct was in the hands of the HRC and City of Cape Town.
“I do want to indicate that the Human Rights Commission and the City of Cape Town are dealing with the matter because it is the action of the police,” said Zulu.
The Department of Social Development and Sassa would return to the committee in the next few weeks with some of the plans to beef up its work in paying grants.
Sassa is paying millions of social grants a year worth billions of rand.