Bathabile Dlamini files response to Constitutional Court questions
Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, along with the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), managed to file its response to questions by the Constitutional Court late last night.
The department's legal representative, Tim Sukazi, says they filed electronically and hard copies will be delivered to the court this morning.
The deadline for the response was 4pm yesterday.
"To the extent that the court is not satisfied with one or two answers, or should the court require more clarity on one or two particular matters, the court will issue further directions and the verification will be made," says Sukazi.
Chief Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng is seeking answers from the minister and SASSA to 17 questions, before the court hears an application to intervene in the payment of social grants matter.
Sukazi admitted that SASSA is not ready to pay social grants to 17 million beneficiaries from April 1 and is asking to court for help.
"SASSA itself is asking the court to ensure that the beneficiaries are protected and so forth. SASSA itself is asking the court that there should be accountability, that the contract be submitted to court within a number of days upon the signature. SASSA itself needs to ensure that everything that needs to be done in relation to this interim contract must be overseen by the court and over and above that SASSA itself is asking the court to ensure that there shall be independent monitoring," says Sukazi.