SOCIAL GRANTS SAGA
Constitutional Court lets Bathabile Dlamini off hook in one Sassa-CPS case
The former social development minister has escaped a costs order in one matter, but another still hangs over her head
The Constitutional Court has found that former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini was not grossly negligent when she applied for an extension to an invalid cash grant payments contract. The court handed down judgment on Thursday in relation to the cost order for the application brought by the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) and Dlamini, which resulted in the grants payment contract with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) being extended again. In March, the court extended the contract for a further six months for cash payments. About 2.8-million grant recipients are paid in cash. In granting the extension, it asked that Dlamini and then acting Sassa CEO Pearl Bhengu give the court reasons why they should not be held personally liable for the fiasco and pay out of their own pockets. On Thursday, the Constitutional Court ordered that Sassa and Bhengu, in her official capacity, pay the costs of the 2018 application. Bhengu has since left her position as acting CEO after requesti...
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