DA demands audit into SASSA beneficiaries database

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called for the audit of all South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant beneficiaries in order to weed out undeserving recipients.

This comes after Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu revealed in Parliament, that around 75 000 deceased beneficiaries have been receiving grant payments for the last three years.

PUBLIC SERVANTS RECEIVE SOCIAL GRANTS

ALSO READ: Latest SASSA news: DA to act on corrupt payments to ‘deceased’

ALSO READ: Important warning from SASSA to its beneficiaries

This mismanagement of funds has cost the Agency an estimated R140 million.

Meanwhile, 33 833 government employees have been receiving social grants. While 5 812 public servants received the COVID-19 social relief of distress grant.

CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION

DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, Bridget Masango, has called it a gross violation of the Social Assistance Act and calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to commission an investigation into the social grant database.

ALSO READ: SASSA: More social grant recipients are BORN every day

ALSO READ: SASSA’s rough 2024 start: Western Cape Minister unhappy

“These two responses provide clear evidence that the integrity of the databases used to pay out social grants is severely compromised and could be costing the taxpayer tens of millions of rand in payments to undeserving individuals”, Masango says.

“To continue using these databases, despite these glaring shortcomings, would be grossly irresponsible and an unacceptable neglect of assigned responsibility on the part of Ramaphosa as the head of the Executive”, she added.

Masango has also called for a criminal investigation to be instituted against those implicated individuals.

CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLES BY APHIWE NGWENYA