Opposition parties have lamented the departure of the CEO of the SA Social Security Agency, Thokozani Magwaza.
On Monday, Social Development Minister, Bathabile Dlamini, said that the parties had “agreed to terminate the services” of Magawazi, “after a consultative process led by the head of legal services, Advocate Nkosinathi Dladla.
No further details were given.
DA spokesperson on Social Development, Bridget Masango, said that Magwaza’s sudden resignation “is yet another damning indication of the toxic influence that Minister Bathabile Dlamini has on SASSA and the Department of Social Development.”
“Magwaza is now the second senior official, after former DSD DG, Zane Dangor, who was coerced into resigning after his family’s safety was threatened,” Masango said.
She said her party was gravely concerned about Magwaza’s departure as he has played an important role in finding an alternative service provider in line with the Constitutional Court deadline of 31 March 2018.
“The relationship between Dlamini and Magwaza was severely strained by Dlamini’s insistence to establishing the irregular workstreams and ensuring the continuation of the lucrative CPS contract,” she said.
The Inkatha Freedom Party said that it was clear “that Magwaza has been pushed-out of his position after he spoke-out against Minister Bathabile Dlamini’s manufacturing of the CPS/SASSA crisis, in affidavits to the Constitutional Court.”
“He also subsequently cancelled Minister Dlamini’s so-called “work-streams” which wasted 47 million rand in taxpayer money and created parallel structures, bypassing the SASSA executive, and reporting to her alone,” said IFP MP Liezle van der Merwe.
She said Magwaza has since received death threats, apparently from members of the ruling party in KwaZulu Natal, which is a clear indication that he is being punished for exposing the Minister’s questionable practises as head of the Department of Social Development.
The Chairperson of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Themba Godi, has also condemned the death threats against Magwaza.
He said he had a long discussion with Magwaza on Sunday night about the alleged death threats against him.
Godi said they also discussed the work of finalising the contract between Sassa and the South African Post Office (Sapo) to replace Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) in the payment of social grants.
Godi said that “the fate of 17 million vulnerable and poor South Africans is at stake.”
