Question NW1215 to the Minister of Social Development
10 May 2018 - NW1215
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1)With regard to the cash tender for the payment of grants by the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA), (a) by what date will she and/or SASSA announce which company has been successful in tendering for this service, (b) did Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) tender again to provide this service to the State and (c) what was the nature of the dispute G24 raised during the tender process; (2) will she consider taking steps against all those in her department who have been part and parcel of a process to ignore the Constitutional Court rulings against her department for entering into an unlawful contract with CPS and thereby creating an environment in which CPS was favoured; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
(1)(a) The cash payment tender process has been suspended pending investigation into various concerns raised. The final decision on the status of the tender will be determined, by no later than 11 May 2018.
(b) Since the tender process is not yet finalised, information about bidders cannot be made public.
(c) The concerns raised are about the accuracy and completeness of the statistical information (numbers of beneficiaries paid per pay point), needed to prepare a credible costing model.
(2) We are not aware of any persons or officials in the department who have been part and parcel of a process to ignore the Constitutional Court rulings against the department, however any evidence to the contrary will be considered. Suffice to state that the rulings of the Constitutional Court will be met.
________________________
Approved by the Minister on
Date……………………….