Bathabile Dlamini: Former minister coughs up R650k for social grant litigation

Former Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has paid, from her own pocket, a portion of the legal costs in relation to the social grants crisis. This according to The Centre for Applied Legal Studies at the Wits School of Law. 

FORMER MINISTER PERSONALLY LIABLE FOR HER ROLE 

In September 2018, the Constitutional Court handed down a historic ruling. The judgment related to urgent litigation brought by the Black Sash Trust (represented by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies) and joined by Freedom Under Law, which sought to protect the social grants system. 

The court found Bathabile Dlamini personally liable for her role in the crisis which led to the litigation. The judgment found the minister’s conduct had been “reckless and grossly negligent” and therefore ordered her to pay a portion of the legal costs of the Black Sash Trust and Freedom Under Law from her own pocket. 

BATHABILE DLAMINI PAYS LEGAL COSTS REGARDING SOCIAL GRANTS CRISIS 

The Centre for Applied Legal Studies, in their statement on Thursday morning, said Bathabile Dlamini made “every effort to avoid paying the costs” she owed of around R650 000. According to the Sunday Times, Bathabile Dlamini claimed that she could not pay what she owed to the organisations because her ministerial pension was being blocked.

Nevertheless, the centre noted that in the past two weeks, the order was complied with and the former minister paid their costs.

“We have been very pleased to see our democracy at work in this case to hold even those occupying some of our highest offices accountable in their personal capacity,” said Attorney at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies Ariella Scher.  

“It is essential that government leaders entrusted with such important positions of care and responsibility for those most vulnerable in our society be required to face real reckoning when they so starkly fail to discharge their responsibilities,” said CEO of Freedom Under Law Nicole Fritz. 

“The struggle to advance the right to social security is far from over,” said National Director of the Black Sash Trust Lynette Maart. 

“We continue to demand that government keep its promises of working towards a universal basic income grant, and we condemn the manner in which the special COVID-19 relief of distress grants and caregiver grants have been brought to an end despite the ongoing state of disaster and unparalleled time of hardship,” she added.