Sassa: Vytjie Mentor stands by Gupta allegations

Former ANC member of parliament Vytjie Mentor stands by her controversial social media post about the Gupta family.

The distribution of social grants to millions of South Africans may end up in the hands of the Guptas‚ according to Mentor.

Mentor dropped this bombshell on her Facebook page on Sunday‚ in response to the brewing crisis over the payment of social grants on April 1.

When contacted on Monday‚ Mentor said: “Everything I write down is true.” She would not divulge her sources‚ but said her post is in the public interest.

This is not the first sensational revelation made by Mentor on social media. Last year Mentor caused a stir when she said she had been offered a cabinet position by the Gupta family but declined.

Mentor’s latest post comes in the midst of a debacle in which the Department of Social Development is yet to sign a contract for the distribution of social security grants to 17 million people from the beginning of April.

The contract with the previous payment contractor Cash Paymaster Services (CPS) comes to an end this month. CPS’s appointment has also been declared invalid by the Constitutional Court.

Social development minister Bathabile Dlamini said on Sunday that the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) will sign another contract with CPS and that grants would be paid on 1 April.

The Sunday Times reported yesterday that Dlamini and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan were summoned to President Jacob Zuma’s official residence in Pretoria on Saturday to resolve the social grant crisis.