MBOMBELA – The South African Security Agency (Sassa) in the province has stuck to its guns when it declared war on corruption last year. This was after the agency noticed that incidents of corruption that involved its officials were increasing in Mpumalanga and set up an investigation. Mpumalanga News recently learnt that
17 beneficiaries, which included three nurses, had been arrested and charged with fraud and corruption on social grants.
Such incidents started coming to light in September last year when two officials and two community members were arrested on charges of corruption in Piet Retief as it was alleged that they were issuing fraudulent grant-payment cards.
The provincial spokesperson of the agency, Mr Senzeni Ngubeni said, “As we have always said, the days are numbered for those who indulge in corruption at Sassa. Those who illegally receive social grants will face the full might of the law.
“We’ve recently come across shocking incidents of corruption whereby some beneficiaries were receiving grants with false documentation and others of deceased people. The three nurses received grants while they appeared on the payroll and to some, fathers are paying maintenance which is daylight robbery,” he concluded.
Last year September when the agency revisited its system to do away with ghost beneficiaries, approximately 28 829 grants were cancelled.
