Pressure mounts as Bathabile Dlamini back in hot seat

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini continues answering questions about her role in the Sassa debacle.

Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini is facing a second day of questioning at the offices of the Chief Justice in Midrand.

Dlamini is being questioned to determine whether she should be personally be held liable to pay for the Constitutional Court case on social grants.

There were concerns over Dlamini's switch between two languages, IsiZulu and English.

EWN reporter, Thando Kubheka, says Dlamini has been testifying in English for a better part of the day, but switched back to IsiZulu.

She has been testifying between IsiZulu and English today.

Thando Kubheka, EWN Reporter

Kubheka says the minister has faced a grilling from Geoff Budlender of Black Sash about the irregular appointment of officials who headed the Sassa workstreams.

It was established that the workstreams were initiated in 2016 and cost the department over R40 million.

The workstreams were found to be irregular, particularly the appointment of their leaders and the minister claimed that the workstreams were designed to assist Sassa to fulfill its mandate of paying grants to millions of beneficiaries...

Thando Kubheka, EWN Reporter

Geoff Budlender cross-examined the minister about whether bids were held for the appointments of these leaders but she was unable to answer.

Judge Bernard Ngoepe was asked to intervene in the matter because Dlamini was unresponsive to the questions.

Today she seemed more defensive on questions she is being asked.

Thando Kubheka, EWN Reporter

The judge had to intervene to ask the minister to answer questions directly as required by the inquiry.

Thando Kubheka, EWN Reporter

To hear the rest of this report by Thando Khubeka, listen below:

This article first appeared on CapeTalk : Pressure mounts as Bathabile Dlamini back in hot seat

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