The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), working with South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) and the Butterworth police on Friday 18 October arrested five people who allegedly presented fraudulent lists of beneficiaries to a SASSA official.
Hailing the arrests as a breakthrough, SASSA said had these attempted transactions not been intercepted, they could have resulted in fraudulent grant withdrawals involving large sums.
In a statement, SASSA said, “It has since become clear that the syndicate is operating from Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, since all fraudulent grant withdrawals are made there.”
SASSA said its partnership with law-enforcement agencies, as announced by the Minister Lindiwe Zulu during her 2019/2020 budget speech, was beginning bear fruit.
All five suspects were due to appear in the Butterworth Magistrate’s Court on Monday 21 October 2019. It is expected that bail would be opposed, in order for the police to profile the suspects and verify their addresses, as they were not Eastern Cape residents.
“SASSA would like to request all staff members not to be lured into fraudulent activities,” the Agency said.
