Former Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has been found guilty of perjury by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.
The case relates to her testimony at an inquiry established by the Constitutional Court into her role in the 2017 social grant crisis.
The inquiry headed by Judge Bernard Ngoepe investigated whether Dlamini should be held personally liable for the costs of the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) debacle. The judge found that Dlamini had been evasive when questions were put to her during the inquiry.
This after the Constitutional Court had declared the contract between the company tasked with the distribution of social grants, Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) and SASSA illegal and invalid.
Magistrate Betty Khumalo found that Dlamini lied about being in several workstreams meetings and that her evidence was contradictory to that of SASSA’s Zodwa Mvulane.
Magistrate Khumalo handed down this judgment:
In December last year, the court dismissed Dlamini’s application to have her acquitted in her perjury case.
In November, former SASSA CEO Thokozani Magwaza gave evidence that Dlamini often interfered with the internal operations of the agency.
According to State Advocate Jacob Serepo, the first witness in the case, SASSA Regional Executive Manager in the North West Zodwa Mvulane, had failed to respond to messages on numerous occasions despite being subpoenaed and was moving between Limpopo and the North West.
Defence Advocate Tshepiso Phahlane opposed the application for the matter to be remanded saying the reasons advanced are purely administrative.
