Parliament’s portfolio committee on social development has made an appeal to grant beneficiaries not to change their SA Social Security Agency cards.
Portfolio Committee chairperson, Zoleka Capa, said that beneficiaries should hold off until the Committee has been informed by Sassa officials particularly the Chief Executive Officer of Sassa of this process.
Capa said they’ve been made aware of a process where grant beneficiaries are requested to exchange their Sassa cards.
“This is due to the current state of illegal deductions and also due to the Constitutional Court judgement that has instructed Sassa and the Department of Social Development to protect the database of Sassa grant beneficiaries and the usage of Sassa cards for payment only and nothing else,” she said.
On Friday the Constitutional Court extended the contract between Sassa and Cash Paymaster Services to pay social grants for another 12 months.
However, the court imposed strict supervisory oversight over the process.
Social Development Minister, Bathabile Dlamini, apologised to South Africans in the wake of the damning court judgement.
The Constitutional Court gave the Minister time to show cause why she should not be personally held liable for the costs of the court application by the Black Sash which led to Friday’s ruling.
