Social grants still in a mess
Bathabile Dlamini is no longer in charge but Sassa keeps SA in suspense as April 1 hurtles towards us. Not only is it Easter Sunday, it is also the day on which Vat increases come into effect and on which grants will be paid out
With just two weeks to go before the 12-month delayed deadline for Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) to hand over the social grants contract, one thing is clear: even without the dreaded Bathabile Dlamini the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) is capable of keeping South Africans on the edge of their seats. Another thing that is clear is that CPS will be involved in the distribution of social grants for several months beyond end-March.Sassa’s latest monthly report to the constitutional court reveals that neither it nor its new partner, the SA Post Office (Sapo), is ready to take over at the end of March. Sapo CEO Mark Barnes makes this clear in a letter to Sassa CEO Pearl Bengu, in which he refers to problems including delays in setting up backup systems.It’s also clear that Shoprite and Pick n Pay stores across SA are in for a hair-raising time on April 1. They are facing a triple whammy that will require all the steady resolve, skills and ability to plan that Sassa lacks.The least of...
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