The National Freedom Party (NFP) on Thursday called for Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini to be sacked over the crisis in the social grant payment system.

Party spokesperson Sabelo Sigudu said that not only was the party calling for Dlamini to go, but the NFP also wanted Thokozani Magwaza, the chief executive of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) to step down.

“Who is the Minister and her CEO to think that they can disregard the Constitutional ruling that the contract of the current Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) is unlawful and illegal since 2014? And to date, the Department has failed to present a proper plan on how payment of social grants will be administered come April?”

Sigudu said the fact that the department was in talks with CPS, despite the contract having been ruled unlawful and illegal, left many questions to be answered.

“This begs one to wonder who is benefiting exactly in this contract and the relationship between these people that have the whole Ministry, (including the Minister) hellbent on protecting and ensuring an extension of an illegal and invalid contract despite the controversy surrounding it,” he said.

Sigudu said that there needed to be a investigation into the tender through which CPS secured the SASSA contract to distribute social grants.