Parliament, Wednesday 8 March 2017 – The Portfolio Committee on Social Development says it is committed to fighting corruption through effective oversight. The Committee met again today to consider oversight matters that continue as routine. The oversight on the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) is a standing item in the Committee. A progress report on the state of readiness and clarification of the issues on payments of grants are also key issues that are to be reported on.

The Committee is committed to fighting corruption wherever and whenever it appears as it robs poor people of their lifeline. The Committee supports all the steps taken by various stakeholders to get to the bottom of the root cause of the Sassa crisis and the inability to appoint a service provider to pay out social grants as soon as the current contract expires on 31 March 2017.

The Committee is extremely concerned about the pain inflicted on the people and relatives of all social grant recipients – which implies that they may not be paid due to this debacle. The Committee calls upon the people of South Africa to be calm and await proper briefings from the Portfolio Committee and other government stakeholders facilitating the flow of information to keep them informed.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Capa, says: β€œThe government will never fail the people of South Africa, particularly the vulnerable and poor. If the process is stalled we will be the first to know. We wish to offer our apology as a Committee for the crisis which threatens to destroy the lifeline of our own.”

ISSUED BY PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, MS NOKUZOLA CAPA

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