The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South African Communist Party (SACP) on Tuesday called on president Jacob Zuma to fire social development minister Bathabile Dlamini.

“No amount of defence can eclipse the devastating effects with which she and her Sassa [South Africa Social Security Agency] Officials had plunge the country into the cusp of social malaise,” the SACP provincial executive committee (PEC) said in a statement.

“Society must also put pressure by all means for the Minister to fall by her sword.”

The PEC said the minister and Sassa plunged the country onto the edge of “social chaos.”

“This human made scandal is the second worst saga since 1994, after the Arms Deal scandal,” the PEC said.

“The Minister has chosen to run presidential political campaigns as its face instead of appearing in Parliament several times for wise counsel in ameliorating what was a looming crisis.”

The committee also expressed concern over the state of state-owed entities.

“Never before since 1994 ANC [African National Congress] government had our state-owned entities been unstable in such great proportions,” the statement reads.

“The failure of governance is finding more expression in our state utilities including proxy turf political wars.”

“SARS, Prasa, SABC and SAA are a manifestation of this toxic state of decay.”

The committee also said the willing-buyer, willing-seller policy of land reform is not sustainable.

We support the proposal for a land reform referendum on the policy proposal for the expropriation of land without compensation, the committee said.