Pretoria – Cabinet has approved the establishment of a Ministerial Task Team to address the issue of the payment of social grants to beneficiaries.
Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Jeff Radebe, said the Ministerial Task Team consists of the Ministers of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini, Finance Pravin Gordhan, Science and Technology Naledi Pandor, Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba, as well as Telecommunications and Postal Services and State Security Siyabonga Cwele.
Minister Radebe is the team’s convenor.
The Task Team has been mandated to address the following, after the Constitutional Court judgment:
- Ensure the payment of grants as from 1 April 2017;
- Seek legal advice on the viability of further legal action by the State, especially in addressing unlawful and irregular conduct where necessary;
- Review the conduct of the South African Social Security Agency, especially in relation to its administrative capacity and management and make a recommendation;
- Develop a contingent plan;
- Devise a comprehensive institutionalised payment system for grants, and
- Consider proposals with a view to strengthening conditionalities as well as consequence management, and identify an appropriate transitional period.
Minister Radebe said Cabinet deeply regrets the anxiety caused by uncertainty over the payment of social grants to beneficiaries.
“We are a caring government and the needs of our people are our priority. We are collectively working towards ensuring that grant beneficiaries are not disadvantaged by these unfortunate events.
“Cabinet assures South Africans that we are dealing with the matter at the highest levels,” Minister Radebe said during a post Cabinet media briefing held in Pretoria on Thursday.
“The time frames [for the task team] are very urgent because the most urgent task is to ensure that by 1 April, grants are distributed,” said Minister Radebe. – SAnews.gov.za
