DA claims cadre deployment ‘remains rife’ at SASSA
The DA on Sunday claimed cadre deployment remainedcommon practice at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
The opposition part is unhappy at the decision by cabinet to extend the contract of Busisiwe Memela-Khambula as chief executive of the agency.
The DA says the decision comes despite Khambula-Memela being implicated in a 2021 Special Investigating Unit report involving corruption in a R45 million tender to distribute 33 000 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) food parcels in the Eastern Cape during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The party's MP Bridget Masango says Khambula-Mmemela is accused of violating the Public Finance Management Act by manipulating the tender for preferred bidders.
"She is accused of explicitly going against National Treasury procurement processes to ensure that overpriced and unqualified service providers were contracted, which saw SASSA pay more than necessary to purchase and distribute parcels, with less parcels distributed to beneficiaries.
"Importantly, the SIU recommended disciplinary action against Memela-Khambule as a central mastermind, in addition to instituting court proceedings to invalidate the contract. However, despite these damning findings, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government proceeded to renew her contract.”
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