13 May 2021 - Lee-Anne Bruce
CALS, Black Sash and Freedom Under Law note that former Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini has paid the costs awarded against her personally
The Black Sash Trust, the Centre for Applied Legal Studies and Freedom Under Law note that Bathabile Dlamini has paid the costs awarded against her personally by the Constitutional Court for her role in the social grants crisis almost three years ago. The former Minister of Social Development was ordered to pay a portion of the costs of litigation brought by civil society organisations in an effort to protect the social grants system.
Bathabile Dlamini pays R650k personal cost order to NGOs in social grant case 13 May 2021 - 08:49 By Naledi Shange Former minister Bathabile Dlamini has paid the costs awarded against her in her personal capacity by the Constitutional Court. File image. Image: Thapelo Morebudi/Sunday Times
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini has paid a personal cost order against her to the NGOs that brought a successful court action against her.
This was disclosed on Thursday by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS), which represented the Black Sash.
The order was made by the Constitutional Court for her role in the social grants crisis almost three years ago.
GCIS
In 2018, the Constitutional Court handed down a personal costs order against Bathabile Dlamini over her handling of the appointment of a social grants distributor.
Dlamini had failed to pay a 20% portion of the legal costs incurred by the Black Sash Trust and Freedom Under Law in bringing the case against her.
The organisations say they have received confirmation that Dlamini has settled a bill of more than R600 000.
Former social development minister Bathabile Dlamini has paid the personal costs order handed down against her by the Constitutional Court, the groups who took her to court announced on Thursday.
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Bathabile Dlamini pays R650 000 for her role in social grants crisis
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Pretoria - Former minister of social development Bathabile Dlamini has paid the costs awarded against her personally following a ruling made in this regard by the Constitutional Court in 2018 for her role in the social grants crisis.
The Centre for Applied Legal Studies (Cals) which represented the Black Sash Trust and others during the legal battle, confirmed that the former minister had paid R650 000 in total - her 20% portion of the legal costs which the Constitutional Court at the time said she was personally liable for.
She was ordered to pay a portion of the costs of litigation brought by civil society organisations in an effort to protect the social grants system.
She paid R55,000 to the Black Sash and R600,000 to Freedom Under Law.
The Centre for Applied Legal Studies has welcomed Dlamini s payment What the Constitutional Court found in its judgment is that usually if state officials are acting in good faith and with good intentions, then they re not going to be held personly liable for their conduct or for things that have happened in their department, said the centre s Ariella Scher. The court held that the former minister Dlamini s conduct was in bad faith, that her conduct aimed at undermining the social grant system, that she implemented parallel processes that led to the dysfunction, and that as a result, she needed to pay a portion of the costs from her own pocket.