Here is an excerpt from Temba Gola's book "New Ways of Paying Social Grants In South Africa":



How to develop the most effective and efficient model for the payment the social grants, in terms of the constitutional court order.

 

The matter between Black SASH TRUST and the minister of Social Development Case Number CCT48/17.

The Chief Justice issued the following order on 17 March 2017:

 
The South African Social Security Agency is directed to forthwith and fully comply with any present or future request by a panel of experts for access to information held by SASSA, by providing to the panel soft copies, clearly indexed of the documents containing the information requested within the time frames stipulated by the panel and if unable to do so, to inform the panel of the reasons for this within three working days.

Provide the panel with appropriate and sufficient details on the process or processes undertaken by SASSA to obtain the service providers, including communications with the office of the Chief Procurement Officer and any legal advice provided by the SASSA legal unit or outside lawyers, by 12 noon on Friday 17 March 2017.
 
Combine statistics and information of all mechanisms, generated by all entities, involved in the payment of social grants in one consolidated document to be provided to the panel on a monthly basis.

Request that the Government Communication and information system develop and implement a focused communication plan to inform current and potential beneficiaries/recipients of the social grants of the implications of the transition of the benefits of receiving their social grants via their bank accounts provided by commercial bank or financial institutions of their choice.
 
Report to the court each month as to the progress achieved in implementing a communication plan as described in paragraph (d).

By Friday, 08 December 2017, report to the court on the affidavit as to SASSA’s plan to affect the uninterrupted payment of social grants, specifying matters such as definite roles and responsibilities, precise timelines, dependences, desired outcomes and risk-mitigation measures.

After filing its plan in terms of paragraph (f), report to the court on the affidavit, each month as to the progress achieved in implementing the plan, the steps taken to mitigate risk which could prevent the full execution of the plan, and any other matters, which ought to be brought to the attention on the court.

By Friday 08 December 2017, report to the court on affidavit as SASSA, a contingency plan, if seamless transition on 1 April 2018 was not realizable, to provide the panel with the appropriate and sufficient information on any steps taken to implement these directives.
 
The court further extended the court order based on the above in terms of case Number 48/2017.

Matter between minister of Social Development, and second respondent – Black SASH TRUST, and third respondent – minister of finance.

The report below is the report based on the court order which was issued on the 23 March 2018.


The research question is which is the most effective, and efficient model of the payment of social grants in South Africa.



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