MEDIA STATEMENT
07 May 2021
Pretoria: - The Department of Social Development and its agency SASSA, has noted with great concern the misleading and grossly mischievous report by News 24 written by Jason Felix and published on 05 May, 2021.
The report headlined: “Social Development bled R6 billion due to irregularities,” is mischievous and seeks to drive a narrative that the Department and SASSA were irresponsible in their handling of public funds while country was grappling with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The truth of the matter is that the Auditor General’s office presented before the Portfolio Committee on Social Development its findings on the DSD sector, and included information on Material Irregularities which it sampled of the audits across entire Government as a whole. It is not true that a finding of R6 billion was found to be irregular on the part of the Department and SASSA.
The report is also mischievous in its presentation of the story that it is not clear which entities under the DSD it is referring to. The DSD has two entities namely the National Development Agency (NDA) with a total budget of R216,240 million, SASSA which a total budget of R7,488 billion in the 2020/21 financial year.
To drive a narrative that seeks to say the two entities failed the poor and the vulnerable is irresponsible and misleading and we are concerned that the nation is being fed incorrect information by irresponsible journalism.
The journalist also failed the most basic of journalism principles - to verify facts and to give all parties a right to reply. This happens in the week when the South Africa and world observed World Press Freedom Day on 03 May, 2021.
The Department demands that the Jason Felix retracts his article, issues a public apology and corrects this article with immediate effect. The department is prudent in the manner in which it adjudicates public financial resources and has put in place sound systems and controls to ensure that funds are used for what they are intended for in accordance with all financial policies and procedures and therefore dismissed this narrative created by Jason Felix.
The Acting Director-General of Social Development, Mr Linton Mchunu, personally called the AGSA and they confirmed that the information in the article is factually incorrect. The Department will be also be formally writing to News24 on this matter.
For media enquiries call Ms Lumka Oliphant on 083 484 8067 or email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
