The Democratic Alliance (DA) has asked Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate the relationship between Cash Paymaster Services and Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who is seeking to extend the company’s contract to distribute more than 17 million welfare grants.

“The vital question as to why Dlamini is so hell bent on ensuring that CPS continue distributing social grants must be investigated fully by the Public Protector,” said the DA’s social development spokeswoman Bridget Masango.

“This investigation will help shed light on whether Dlamini will either directly or indirectly benefit from this contract with CPS.”

Masango said the opposition party lodged a complaint with Mkhwebane because Dlamini has consistently rejected alternative proposals on grant distribution.

Newspaper reports at the weekend that President Jacob Zuma’s legal advisor Michael Hulley had sought to influence the process in CPS’s favour, added to the need for an investigation, she said.

The contract between CPS and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) was declared invalid by the Constitutional Court in 2014, but allowed to run until the end of this month so as not to disrupt grant payments.

Dlamini has insisted that only CPS is able to pay grants from April, because Sassa remains unable to assume the responsibility of grant administration.

The Constitutional Court has given Sassa a deadline of Monday afternoon to account on how the crisis arose.