The endemic graft, corruption and fraud in disbursing social grants at the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has come under spotlight in a debate in the National Assembly after two University of Stellenbosch students had earlier briefed the Portfolio Committee on Social Development about the ease with which SASSA’s security system and means test could be circumvented by non-qualifying beneficiaries.
A member of the portfolio committee and Shadow Minister of Social Development for the Democratic Alliance, Ms Alexandra Abrahams, raised the issue for debate in the National Assembly. She was unequivocal in her condemnation of SASSA saying it is “synonymous with fraud and corruption”. She went on to talk about the extent of the rot that has engulfed the agency. Unauthorised deductions, payments to people who are deceased and government employees, confusion about the status of various forms and the colours of the cards the agency issues, along with system glitches that double-pay some beneficiaries are some of the agency’s failures Ms Abrahams mentioned. She also noted that the system failures highlighted by the Stellenbosch students had been supported by 150 emails on the subject of the corruption that has enveloped the issuing of Social Relief of Distress grants.
She also condemned the lack of consequences for these failures, particularly the system administrators, who cover up the corruption at the expense of deserving beneficiaries. “Nothing has been done to prevent this from occurring again. Worst of all, the two students who uncovered this fraud were unlawfully locked out from receiving the grant, even though they qualify,” Ms Abrahams said.
SASSA falls under the remit of the Department of Social Development and the Minister, Ms Nokuzola Tolashe, was quick to condemn the revelations. “We take these anomalies seriously and we are determined to restore the integrity of our social security system. We will ensure that these revelations are addressed with vigour,” she said. She also made “a firm commitment that the department will ensure that any corruption uncovered at SASSA would be dealt with decisively”.
She explained how that would be achieved. “We have implemented stringent measures to detect and prevent corruption activities and have enhanced its oversight mechanisms to ensure that SASSA’s payment system is transparent and would be able to hold accountable those who abuse their position of power and authority within the agency,” she said.
“We have made investment in data analytics to detect fraudulent activities and would work with the justice system: the National Financial Intelligence Centre, National Prosecution Authority and the Special Investigation Unit to act swiftly against fraud and corruption at the agency,” she concluded.
uMkhonto weSizwe’s Mr Nhlamulo Ndhelea was shocked to hear that SASSA is “engulfed by fraud”, considering that there are advance technological tools and systems available “to do a means test or develop cross referencing data with Home Affairs, public sector’s salary payment system, SARS and registers for owners and directors of companies to prevent inmates, deceased persons and non-eligible beneficiaries from getting social grants,” Mr Ndhelea said.
He spelt it out in stark terms. “What we are really dealing with are syndicates that work with the grant administrators who enlist illegal identities and illegal recipients to SASSA’s payment system. These administrators are the true enablers of fraud and corruption that we find our ourselves in today.”
What is even more shocking, he added, is that the Department of Social Development is still talking about a fraud and corruption prevention strategy when these anomalies had infiltrated SASSA’s system from its inception. He called for SASSA’s system to be overhauled and for measures to be put in place to proactively identify fraudulent applications.
Meanwhile, the new Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Social Development, Ms Bridget Masango, said the situation is an indictment on the department and the Minister. “I say this because I had an honour of serving in this committee and we have been raising fraud and corruption allegations endemic at SASSA for a long time. And we have even offered solutions, but yet such allegations continue to rear their heads.”
The latest allegations of fraud and corruption make her particularly concerned about whether the Department of Social Development is capable of managing its quarter of a trillion rand budget each year. “With such a massive budget, the department should ensure that its services reach those for whom it is intended,” she said.
Furthermore, she said, the Office of the Auditor-General has flagged the department’s poor financial management and irregular expenditure in successive annual financial reports. However, the situation has persisted because of a lack of consequences for the perpetrators, Ms Masango said.
Ms Noluvuyo Tafeni (Economic Freedom Fighters) echoed these sentiments, saying that despite the historical nature of these allegations, successive ministers of Social Development have failed to arrest the graft. “To this day, the system remains so weak that fraudster slip through the agency’s payment system without being caught, leading to the department losing money at a horrendous rate,” she said. At fault, Ms Tafeni alleged, “are those who run the apparatus of SASSA and who are bent on enriching the politically connected”.
Abel Mputing
28 October 2024
Arrange a tour