CAPE TOWN – An inter-ministerial task team headed by Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma will be stepping in at the Department of Social Development as the controversy around South Africa’s grant payments rages on. 

#Postcab: Inter Ministerial Task team overseeing social grants headed by Nkosozana Dlamini Zuma will meet in Pretoria at 4 pm to discuss suspension of cash payment tender currently held by CPS until September. @eNCA pic.twitter.com/mLC1tUKXIN

— Annika Larsen (@AnnikaLarsen1) April 26, 2018

This emerged at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday afternoon.

Newly-appointed Social Development Minister Susan Shabangu wants to suspend cash grant payments of the South African Social Development Agency (Sassa).

eNCA’s Annika Larsen attended the post-cabinet briefing and explains the issues below. 

Parliament on Thursday released a statement saying briefings by the Department of Social Development and its entities were cancelled “on the basis that the department has no defined organisational structure.”

The Portfolio Committee on Social Development said the department’s budget would not be approved during the upcoming budget votes without an approved annual performance plan (APP).

Shabangu told the committee that vacancies within the department have been frozen since there appears to be three different organisational structures, which could not be validated with the Department of Public Service and Administration.

She reported that 450 vacancies within the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) have also been placed on hold until its structures can be verified.

The minister is yet to meet and familiarise herself with other departmental entities.

Referring to the millions of social grant beneficiaries, committee member Sibongile Tsoleli said: “We cannot rubberstamp something that is wrong. We are in a situation right now. This will affect our people out there who are expecting so much from this department,” referring to the millions of social grant beneficiaries.

eNCA