In reply to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question, Minister of Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini, has revealed that major irregularities have occurred in the payment of performance bonuses to senior managers at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA). According to the Minister’s reply, a bonus of R38 608 was paid to an executive manager who had not undergone any form of performance assessment, while a total of R482 141 was paid to 11 senior managers who were assessed by the moderating committee but were not recommended for performance bonuses. SASSA is the agency responsible for administering social grants to the most poverty stricken and vulnerable citizens of our country, and the Agency’s financial management and administration should be beyond reproach. It is unacceptable that the Agency’s financial resources are being abused in the manner indicated by the Minister.

The DA welcomes the fact that the irregular awarding of bonuses at SASSA has been investigated, and that a decision has been taken to subject the Agency’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to disciplinary action. The DA will monitor this situation closely. The Minister should personally ensure that the CFO is held accountable for his misconduct, and that appropriate action is taken against him.

The continued mismanagement and poor administration of SASSA flies in the face of the Zuma administration’s supposed commitment to uplifting impoverished South Africans. If this government is serious about assisting those who are not in a financial position to assist themselves, it must urgently step in to address the mismanagement that appears to have pervaded every level of the Agency.

This administration’s continued refusal to hold poorly performing state employees to account has undermined its ability to effectively deliver services to the people it was elected to serve. It is those who are most dependent on the state, impoverished South Africans, who pay the greatest price for the disdain for accountability displayed by the Zuma government.

The DA has repeatedly called for the establishment of a Social Inspectorate to ensure the integrity and accountability of SASSA, as specified in Chapter 4 of the Social Assistance Act 13 of 2004. This latest revelation is a clear indication of the urgency with which such a body needs to be established. The DA will be submitting parliamentary questions to the Minister of Social Development to monitor the outcome of the disciplinary action against the SASSA CFO, and to determine when a Social Inspectorate will be established.