Freedom Under Law (FUL) is seeking to intervene in Black Sash’s Constitutional Court application to ensure that grant beneficiaries will still be protected after March 31.

“The security of those dependent on social grants has been recklessly imperilled in a bid to ensure the interim contracting process escapes scrutiny and oversight,” FUL said in a statement on Tuesday.

The court is expected to hear the Black Sash’s application on March 15. It wants the court to force the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) to negotiate another contract with the current service provider, Cash Paymaster Services (CPS), to ensure grants are distributed.

Due to an urgent situation of Sassa's own making, it had no choice but to do so, Black Sash said.

FUL wants the court to order the disclosure of all documentation relating to the interim contract between Sassa and CPS.

The Constitutional Court declared it invalid in 2014, but suspended its order to allow Sassa to make new arrangements for grants to be paid.

FUL wants the court to prevent CPS from charging more under the interim contract than what it was charging under the 2012 contract.

The interim contract with CPS must be in place no longer than necessary for a tender for the distribution of social grants to be advertised, adjudicated, and awarded.

“A ruling of the highest court of the land, carefully structured so as to best protect the rights and interests of the most vulnerable in our country, has been cynically disregarded,” FUL said, referring to the 2014 ruling.