The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has dismissed four officials after they were found guilty of involvement in a R33 million social grants fraud scheme.
The officials are from SASSA’s Nebo local office inLimpopo’s Sekhukhune district.
In a statement, SASSA says an internal investigation revealed that the officials manipulated the social grants system in collaboration with external syndicates, resulting in fraudulent activities valued at R33 million.
It adds that disciplinary proceedings were instituted following the investigation, leading to the dismissal of the employees.
The officials appealed the sanction, but the agency’s appeals committee upheld the dismissals, citing the seriousness of the misconduct and the need to protect public resources.
Regional executive manager Mmapula Pheeha highlights that fraudulent activities undermine public trust in SASSA and deprive vulnerable communities of much-needed support.
“Fraudulent activities undermine the trust placed in SASSA and deprive vulnerable communities of much-needed support. We will continue to act decisively against any employee found guilty of misconduct,” states Pheeha.
SASSA pays social grants for older persons, child support, persons with disabilities and social relief of distress grants, on behalf of the Department of Social Development.
The entity’s systems have historically been prone to manipulation and errors, leading to fraudulent elements in social grant administration.
In 2024, National Treasury said it will impose conditions on institutions like SASSA, as it pertains to crosschecks on databases, to improve the validity of social grant payments.
Last year, the agency indicated that will deploy mandatory beneficiary biometric enrolment to detect and stop potentially fraudulent activities within its grant system.
Following the latest developments, the agency has reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and corruption, saying it remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the social grant system and ensuring that grant funds reach the rightful beneficiaries.
According to SASSA, it is strengthening measures to prevent similar incidents in future.
These include enhanced monitoring, stricter internal controls and ongoing staff ethics training aimed at protecting the integrity of the social grants system.
Share
