DA succeeds in calling DSD and SASSA to account to Parliament

Dear Editor

The DA has succeeded in getting the Department of Social Development and SASSA summoned to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), to account for R1 billion in irregular expenditure which could have been used to provide much needed support to poor and vulnerable South Africans.

Both SASSA and the Department will appear before SCOPA tomorrow, 23 November 2016.

After months of raising issues with SASSA and the Department of Social Development’s ineptness to deal with a potential social crisis, we welcome this meeting and will use this opportunity to hold both to account by questioning them on the following:

• R316 million paid to CPS at the mere presentation of an invoice;
• R414 million paid for security without the normal Supply Chain Management protocols;
• R233 million paid for irregular office lease to John Block in the Northern Cape;
• R74 million paid irregularly to controversial audit firm SAB & T for an internal audit.

We will also use the opportunity to push the DSD and SASSA to give details on their level of preparedness to take over the distribution of R10 billion in social grants to 17 million South Africans next April.

Both the DSD and SASSA have consistently failed to answer vital questions from the DA on whether or not they are ready to take over the massive task of distributing social grants. This evasiveness should sound alarms bells.

The DA will continue to push for these vital answers and will ensure those in power are held accountable for wasting public funds.

Regards

Tim Brauteseth MP
DA Representative in the Standing Committee on Public Accounts