South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) said it will delay the payments of the COVID-19 social relief grant for March and April 2021 due to the transition in government financial years.
SASSA spokesperson, Paseka Letsatsi said the end of March, is the end of the financial year for the government and various administrative tasks are required before any payments which relate to the previous financial year can be made.
“SASSA is currently busy with its end of financial year tasks, which has delayed payment. We have received confirmation of the extension of the relief grant on 11 February 2021, after all its administration systems had in fact been closed at the end of January 2021, which was the previously announced closing date for this grant.
“The systems were reactivated immediately on receiving confirmation of the funding for the extension and the application channel was once again operational as from 13 February. A total of 86 363 new applications were received for February alone,” Letsatsi said.
He said they have received more than 10 million applications for this grant. Letsatsi further said they validate these applications on a monthly basis to ensure that payments are made to applicants who do qualify for the grant.
“Payments for February were thus made at the end of February and early March 2021. The applications for March were validated as usual after the payments for February had been completed, but could not be extracted for payment before 31 March 2021.
“All private and public institutions whose processes constitute dependencies have been roped in and are working tirelessly with SASSA to stabilise the situation. We would like to apologise for this break in the payments and would like to reassure all deserving applicants for the relief grant who have been affected those payments will be made as soon as the administrative processes have been completed,” he said.
Picture: Bophelong Provincial Hospital in Mahikeng
By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
The Ad Hoc Committee on Section 100 Intervention in the North West said even though there is steady progress at the Bophelong Provincial Hospital in Mahikeng, it has raised persistent challenges.
Ad Hoc Committee chairperson, China Dodovu said while they are cognisant that the eradication of entrenched and systematic challenges within the health department will take time, it is nonetheless alarmed that some of the low-hanging fruits have not been addressed.
“We welcome steady headway in resolving some challenges within the health portfolio, but remain concerned that some challenges that led to the intervention remains a reality. At the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital, the committee welcomes the information that 633 positions have been filled, including the appointment of 23 specialists.
“Despite the marginal gains, the committee is concerned about reports of eight fridges that are not functioning at the mortuary at the hospital, which serves almost a million people in the district,” Dodovu said.
He further said, while they welcomed the appointment of three mortuary attendants and the extension of operating hours, the committee is concerned by the limited capacity and old infrastructure at the hospital’s mortuary and the reported continuous breakdown of fridges.
Meanwhile, the hospital hackled headlines after a decomposed body of a 60-year-old patient was discovered in a malfunctioning drawer in the hospital’s mortuary a few months ago.
Dodovu added that they also welcome that the hospital board at Mahikeng is functional and the relationship between the employer and labour has improved. He said the committee considers the relationship important to engendering a conducive working relationship.
“The committee is also concerned by the inability to fill critical positions, including that of the chief executive officer, a position that has been vacant since 2015, as well as the finance and maintenance manager. All these positions are critical in the effective operation of the hospital to ensure effectively service delivery to the people.
“Also of concern is the non-functionality of the laundry services at the Mahikeng Provincial Hospital, a problem that was highlighted by the previous Ad Hoc Committee. The infrastructure challenges that continue to besiege the department give an impression that they are insurmountable,” said Dodovu.
Furthermore, he said the committee is concerned that the hospital continues to struggle to spend its budget and grants, with only 72% spent for the current financial year. Dodovu said the inability of the hospital to spend its budget has a direct impact on small businesses contracted to the hospital, as payments continue to be late.
“Of a major concern is that, while the bid adjudication committees have been appointed, no training has taken place to date. This is concerning in the context of the critical role these committees play in ensuring judicious appointment of service providers, which will ensure quality service and value for money.
“The committee is content with the full picture painted by all the stakeholders within the health sector and will, following the conclusion of its visit, consider the reports and submissions it received from role-players,” he said.
North West health department spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said: “The above-mentioned fridges were fixed and there is a contractor on-site daily to ensure that broken fridges are attended to as soon they are reported to be dysfunctional.
“Also, the hospital laundry is functional with few domestic machines used to wash linen for specific units. Indeed, bigger machines are currently not functional and we are alternatively washing our laundry at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital Complex and Joe Morolong, while plans to fix our laundry machines are unfolding through the help of the provincial office.”
Lekgethwane said the CEO has been appointed and the successful candidate resumed duties on 1 April 2021. He refuted allegations that the hospital has spent only 70% of its budget too.
“The hospital has spent its equity budget up to 101% while its grants at 100% of its budget and not 70% as purported. There will always be strategies that are put in place in order to ensure that the budget is spent accordingly.
“Those strategies include monthly cash flow meetings for the purpose of detecting over and under expenditure. There is also a detailed business plan on how the budget will be spent. Service providers are appointed in accordance with Supply Chain Management processes,” said Dodovu.
The newly-elected mayor of the Greater Taung Local Municipality, Oageng Seleke said he is adamant that he will not recuse himself from the mayoral position as the ANC caucus at the municipality continues to be marred with internal factional battles and infighting.
This comes after ANC Interim Regional Working Committee (IRWC) sent a letter to Seleke requesting him to recuse himself. Seleke was elected unopposed as the new mayor of the municipality following the removal of Kgosi Nnyoko Charles Motlhabane as a mayor.
Motlhabane was ousted through a motion of no confidence sponsored by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) last week.
“No my chief, a true leader cannot just instruct you. A selfless leader will listen to the cause then addresses the matter. So, it means the IRWC is not interested in addressing the cause, but they are interested in pleasing some bitter comrades.
“We need to shelve the spirit of arrogance first. To them, they are not interested in solving municipal issues but in pleasing their own interest. This is a revolution, so let them decide but the revolution continues. One day people will be reminded of their deeds,” Seleke said.
However, the ANC IRWC coordinator in the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati region, Walter Mabogola said in a letter: “The IRWC has noted with great concern that Nnyoko Motlhabane who is the ANC mayor of Greater Taung Local Municipality (GTLM) was removed without proper consultation with the party that deployed your good self.
“It was further noted that the council meeting, which was held in GTLM on 13 April 2021, has elected you as the new municipal mayor after you have accepted the nomination.”
Mabogola further said in their view, Seleke’s election was done without proper consultation with the ANC. So, he said they have instructed Seleke to tender his resignation as a mayor of the GTLM in writing within 48 hours.
Meanwhile, the ANC IPC coordinator, Kenny Morolong said they have noted with concern the decisions of both Madibeng and Taung Local Municipal Councils to remove both their mayors through motions of no confidence.
“We have also learned with utter shock that ANC deployees collaborated with the oppositions to remove both mayors of the ANC and did so without the organisation’s directive. These developments represent a continuation of a new and worrying tendency in our caucuses across the province.”
“This tendency seeks to erode the centrality of the ANC as the only centre of power. He said they would like to remind their deployees that the deployment and re-deployment of the mayors remain the exclusive domain of the IPC,” he said.
Morolong further said the IPC in due course will reflect in these developments. Following which it will explicitly expresses itself with respect to its decisions and the next course of action.
The Guardian 