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Briefings by the Department of Social Development and its entities were cancelled on the basis that the department has no defined organisational structure.

Addressing the committee, Minister Susan Shabangu said that vacancies within the department have been frozen since the department appears to have three different organisational structures, which could not be validated with the Department of Public Service and Administration. She reported that 450 vacancies within the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) have also been placed on hold until its structures can be verified. The Minister is yet to meet and familiarise herself with other departmental entities.

Without an approved annual performance plan (APP), the department’s budget will not be approved during the upcoming budget vote debates. Noting the implications, the committee said that it cannot accept an annual report and approve a budget for a department that does not have a defined organisational structure.

Referring to the millions of social grant beneficiaries, committee member Ms Sibongile Tsoleli said: “We cannot rubberstamp something that is wrong. We are in a situation right now. This will affect our people out there who are expecting so much from this department,” referring to the millions of social grant beneficiaries.

The committee also raised concerns that the current Minister has to account for a departmental APP that was signed off by the former Minister, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, while Deputy Minister Ms Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu appears not to have signed the APP. The committee is of the view that the current Minister, who will carry responsibility for this department, should be the one to sign off this APP.

The committee resolved to approach Parliament’s Programming Committee for an extension on the Extended Public Committees programme to deal with the issues in the department and its entities. Parliament’s legal services will also be asked to advise on legal aspects relating to the lack of a defined organisational structure.

The committee was yesterday, Wednesday 25 April 2018, supposed to consider the strategic plan, APP and budget of the Department of Social Development, the National Development Agency (NDA) and Sassa.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson, Rosemary Capa