Some social grant beneficiaries struggled to access their money as post office workers continued their strike over wages. Photo: Nompendulo Ngubane
R68 million has been allocated to fight fraud at Sassa
Lindiwe Zulu is closely monitoring and paying site visits to Sassa service points despite fraud, social grants will be paid.
Some social grant beneficiaries struggled to access their money as post office workers continued their strike over wages. Photo: Nompendulo Ngubane
The Department of Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu is closely monitoring and paying visits to South African Social Security Agency service points. The government has allocated a whopping R68 million to fight fraud within the agency.
Sassa’s new hands-on approach
This fund allocation will come to the aid of up to 800 Early Child Development (ECD) centres, which serve as Sassa service points. This week, Zulu is set to go door to door paying a visit to these service points in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal ensuring that service delivery is met.
Minister commits to frontline service delivery visits
This comes after new plans where set in place at the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. What has been discussed in the recent budget reviews for the departments 2019/2020 financial year plans, was how the minister can be in the forefront carefully evaluating the quality of service the department offers at ECD centres.
“The Department will transfer R 212 million to the National Department Agency and R 518 million to the ECD conditional grant to provinces. The balance goes to the Department and Sassa for administrative costs.”
Department of Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu
Sassa’s constant fight with fraud
At her departments budget vote earlier this month, Zulu announced that the pandemic days of fraud against the department are “over”; and the R68m set to investigate social grant system fraud will amongst other things make sure all SASSA beneficiaries are paid.
“The department has adopted a portfolio approach which seeks to synergise its work and those of its public entities over the Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF) period, with specific focus on sustainable livelihood initiatives. “
The Department of Social Development
Recently Sassa has been dealing with malicious fraudulent cases and suspended over 2 800 suspected fraudulent social grants accounts in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal provinces.
Further inspections are expected in the Eastern Cape
This week, the minister is set to stroll and conduct an on-site inspection for the construction of a new building for the Masibulele Day Care Centre in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape on Friday. This centre is funded by the National Development Agency and over 60 children registered there are under the social grant and the further R518 million is in place to upgrade and maintain the ECD centres.
Most importantly, we will remain vigilant more than ever, before to ensure that social grants are paid to eligible beneficiaries njalo! (all the time). In this regard, we have taken temporary precautionary measures by suspending over 2 800 suspected fraudulent accounts.
I have directed both Ceos of Sassa working with the Ceo of South African Post Office to investigate and furnish me and the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, with a comprehensive report and action to address this matter, including complaints from social grants beneficiaries we received in the last 18 months. To address this fraudulent activities, we have allocated R68 million to social grants investigations in the current financial year.
The Department of Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu, Budget Vote Speech
