Drastic action on SASSA corruption and fraud required - Committe Chairperson
The Portfolio Committee on Social Development Chairperson, Ms Zoleka Capa, has voiced concerns on officials who require cash before they could process grants.
“This is unacceptable and should be stamped out of our system. Social assistance is not for sale to scrupulous officials of the Department. We have a task of ensuring that the poorest of the poor get government assistance at no cost at all,” Ms Capa said.
“The easiness with which to access funds from the SA Social Security Agency, particularly by officials of the Department, is worrying and that drastic action needs to be undertaken,” she said.
On Monday, a senior official at the Mitchell’s Plein (Cape Town) SASSA office was caught red-handed for accepting cash from processing grants, as well as fraudulently processing grants to family amounting to well more than R170 000.
SASSA’s investigation revealed that unregistered doctors with the Health Professions Council of SA were also involved in disability grants fraud.
“If doctors are also so deeply involved in this graft then there is reason for the Committee to be worried. We cannot allow this sophisticated form of corruption carried at the expense of poor people,” Ms Capa said.
She said the reason the Committee would be visiting the Northern Cape precisely relates to exactly ascertaining the challenges faced by SASSA in that province.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairperson, please contact:
Sibongile Maputi (Mr)
Parliamentary Communication Services
Tel: 021 403 8041
Cell: 081 052 6060
E-mail: smaputi@parliament.gov.za
