Lamola urges maintenance beneficiaries to opt for electronic payments

Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola says the Department is encouraging maintenance beneficiaries to opt for electronic payment of their benefits.

He says this will curb the risks associated with making manual payments to beneficiaries by the Department.

Lamola was speaking during the budget vote for Justice and Constitutional Development in Parliament.

“Honourable members, the processing of maintenance payments is a critical area that needs special attention. In the 2018/2019 financial year, the Department has paid an amount of R1,2967 billion to maintenance beneficiaries.

This amounts to an estimated R108 million per month, which could have been collected through the courts through cash payments. In order to manage the risk associated with  the manual handling of such large amounts of cash in our courts, the Department is encouraging parties to opt for electronic payment of their maintenance benefits.”