February,23 2017.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Sane Dhlamini.

ANC MPs says missing Sassa deadline 'no natural disaster'
Muthambi never filed key SABC documents with Cipro
And, Motsoaledi to brief MPs on Esidimeni deaths

Ruling party MPs on Parliament’s social development committee yesterday rallied behind Minister Bathabile Dlamini as she was questioned about the department’s readiness for April 1.

The department was briefing the committee on its readiness for the March 31 deadline, when Cash Paymaster Services’ contract to pay grants would end.

They were critical of how the opposition had labelled the process of finding a new service provider to pay social grants.

Opposition parties criticised Dlamini for being negligent and unprepared, during yet another meeting to detail the department’s plans regarding grant payments.

 

Legal amendments Communications Minister Faith Muthambi made at the SABC, giving her and Hlaudi Motsoeneng broad powers at the broadcaster, were never filed with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.

Researchers on Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating the SABC board revealed yesterday that her changes to the SABC’s memorandum of incorporation in 2014 were never filed with Cipro.

The last official amendment filed was registered in October 2013 and finalised in March 2014. Muthambi's predecessor Yunus Carrim signed it.

 

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi is today expected to brief Parliament on the deaths of psychiatric patients transferred from Life Esidimeni clinics to NGOs in Gauteng.

Last Wednesday, health ombudsman Professor Malegapuru Makgoba said the death toll of patients who were transferred from Life Esidimeni’s facilities to 27 unlicensed NGOs in Gauteng would continue to rise. Over 100 people had died.

Makgoba told Parliament's portfolio committee on health that his office was continuing to receive data from the public since his report on the disastrous move was made public on February 1.

Makgoba said the 27 NGOs were under-resourced, under-financed and ill-equipped to take on the influx of psychiatric patients.

 

Also making headlines:
Nehawu warns ANC to treat workers better or lose in 2019
And, Edward Zuma says Mathews Phosa is a traitor

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That’s a roundup of news making headlines today