JOHANNESBURG, March 3 (ANA) – The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) has dismissed the Congress of South African Trade Unions’ (Cosatu) claim that the debacle over the payment of pensions and grants “smells of corruption” saying the labour body was merely “grandstanding”.
South Africa Social Security Agency (Sassa), which is under the Social Development Department, has come under scrutiny because the problematic contract it has with Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) ends this month. No new arrangements have been finalised to pay social grants in April to 17 million recipients.
As a result there are growing concerns about a possible crisis.
Cosatu on Thursday called on Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to resign or be dismissed. “This is not just administrative bungling, but it is a political own goal that smells of corruption,” said Cosatu.
Minister Dlamini is also the leader of the ANCWL, which has responded to the Cosatu remarks.
In a statement issued by its secretary general, Moekgo Matuba, the ANCWL said it noted the comments by Cosatu on the SASSA-CPS matter and respects its right to freedom of expression, which includes freedom to impart information or ideas.
“However it is irresponsible in particular from an ANC Alliance partner to make allegations that the SASSA- CPS matter smells of corruption but not lay any corruption charge to the law enforcement agencies,” said the ANCWL.
“The ANCWL’s view is that this is just populist posture driven by some CEC [Central Executive Committee] members of COSATU who have abandoned their duties of strengthening and building worker control-COSATU where workers control the structures and committees of the Federation. These selfish CEC members have consciously abandoned their roles of leading a Federation …”
Dlamini has insisted the payments of pensions and grants will be made on April, but is yet to indicate how. The options include a new contract with CPS – a matter that would require input from the Constitutional Court, which previously found the existing contract to be invalid.
The department is also considering making payments through the banks and if all fails it has contingency plans to pay recipients in cash.
The ANCWL in defence of the department dared Cosatu to lay criminal charges on the alleged corruption on SASSA- CPS matter.
“It is the ANCWL’s view that the grandstanding posture of claiming ‘smell of corruption’ is mainly driven by some in COSATU leadership that have uncontrollable ambition to be deployed into ANC led government positions which includes cabinet positions in parliament,” said the ANCWL.
“They create unfounded allegations to assassinate characters of some ANC leaders who are serving in the ANC led government with the hope that those leaders will be recalled and that will be opportunity for them to be deployed.
“These opportunistic ambitious grandstanders are misusing their positions in Cosatu leadership to advance factional politics. They are taking advantage of the current challenges the movement is facing and are driving wedges to position themselves for the coming ANC National elective conference 2017.”
The ANCWL said it had extended an invite to genuine leaders of Cosatu who have interests in leading worker’s struggles to address the challenges that women are facing in the workplace.
“The ANCWL as integral part of the ANC, will continue working tirelessly for the unity of the movement and appeals to Cosatu to isolate any of its leaders who have abandoned his/her duties and focusing on causing disunity in the movement or opportunistically using his/her position in the federation to advance selfish narrow agenda.”
The ANCWL said a healthy, strong, united, non-factional Cosatu “is good for the ANC and its leagues and it’s good for the working class of our country”.
– African News Agency (ANA)
