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SASSA boss takes on Dlamini

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 06 Apr 2017
SASSA CEO Thokozani Magwaza.
SASSA CEO Thokozani Magwaza.

Thokozani Magwaza, CEO of the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA), has reportedly hit back at claims that blame him and the agency's officials for the social grants debacle.

An affidavit submitted to the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) by social development minister Bathabile Dlamini last week, notes Magwaza and SASSA are to blame for the social grants payments drama.

Dlamini was required to file an affidavit to the highest court in the land to motivate why she should not be held personally liable for the social grants payment crisis.

"The effect of the change in leadership at SASSA, and the fact that Mr Magwaza failed to engage comprehensively with me during this critical time, in my view, contributed to the delays in implementation of certain critical decisions," said the minister in the affidavit.

Business Day reports Magwaza alleges Dlamini's affidavit contains "factors that are inaccurate".

He has asked for the record to be set straight by filing his own affidavit in response to the document filed by the minister.

This morning, the social security agency's Twitter account confirmed the CEO has written a letter to the ConCourt "to give my side on the story, I can't comment further", he said.

Last month, the ConCourt permitted the extension of the current invalid social grants payments contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) for another 12 months.

The extension was to avert a social payments disaster and ensure millions of beneficiaries received payments.

Meanwhile, Eyewitness News reports SASSA will demand CPS to reimburse social grant beneficiaries in the Western Cape that have been affected by illegal deductions.

Eyewitness News says SASSA has received about 250 complaints of disputed deductions from grants paid out since Saturday.

According to Bandile Maqetuka, executive manager in the Western Cape, deductions are not permitted for electricity, loans and airtime.

Maqetuka says SASSA will meet CPS next week to raise the issue of illegal deductions and to demand grant beneficiaries are reimbursed.

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