Social Development welcomes ConCourt questions

The department is under-fire over the payment of social grants on April 1, and is set to appear in the highest court in the land next week. 

On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court posed questions around the the payment of social grants to over 17 million people. The court ruled the contract with distrubutor Cash Paymaster Services invalid in 2014.  

"The Department of Social Development and SASSA welcome ALL the decisions made by the Constitutional Court," the department says.

Social Development however dismissed, what it calls "the opportunistic decision" by the Democratic Alliance to join in the Black Cash application.

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Black Sash, a non-governmental organisation, has approached the Constitutional Court on the matter and the department says they won't oppose their court bid.

"It is important to note that the Department of Social Development and SASSA do not intend to oppose the noble application by the Black Sash which seeks to essentially protect the rights of the social grant beneficiaries."

Sassa also welcomed the request for more information by the court on the payment of social grants.

"The Department has always contended that the Constitutional Court is best placed to deal with the matter at hand because social assistance in South Africa is a human right enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa," the statement reads.

It also indicated that the minister, Bathabile Dlamini, has instructed her department and Sassa to provide the necessary information required by the Constitutional Court. 

"The Department and Sassa are committed to providing the public with further updates on progress in this regard," the department says.

The Minister again reiterated that all grant beneficiaries will receive their social grant money come the 1st of April 2017.