From the news desk

Zuma can fire me: Bathabile

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Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini said on Sunday that “fraud and corruption is well documented in cash transfer systems throughout the world and South Africa is no different”, adding that grants will be paid on April 1.

Dlamini was briefing the media on the Sassa debacle that has left countless grant beneficiaries fearing they won’t be paid out, as Sassa’s controversial payment contract with Cash Payment Services (CPS) expires at the end of March 2017.

“Our system has seen the worst form of abuse and theft,” she said.

“In December 2014 a ministerial advisory committee report recommended that Sassa build its own payment system. Towards the end of 2014 Sassa advertised the tender as per the court order for the payment of social grants for five years, ending 2019. However, the tender was not awarded due to non-responsive bids.”

“At the time, five companies bidded for the tender, two withdrew… the three that remained did not have the capacity to deal with the issues we had raised.”

Earlier on Saturday the DA and Congress of the People on Saturday both called for Dlamini to be sacked immediately following the sudden resignation of her director general Zane Dangor.

The presidency on Saturday also issued a statement saying that President Jacob Zuma met with Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan and Dlamini to discuss the matter.

Zuma received a progress report on the debacle.

“Today’s meeting follows other briefings that the president has received on the matter. The president is of the view that the matters are solvable,” the presidency had said.

[Source: News24]
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