Four arrested, including two Sassa officials, in R4,9m fraud case

Two serving South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) officials are among four suspects arrested in Gauteng in connection with an alleged R4,9 million social grants fraud scheme. Sassa, in a statement on Wednesday, welcomed the arrests, describing them as the outcome of a co-ordinated investigation into the unlawful processing and approval of social grants. The arrests were carried out on Tuesday by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Investigating Unit following an extensive investigation.

The allegations relate to the unlawful processing and approval of social grants. One suspect was arrested at a workshop in Heidelberg. The remaining three, two Sassa officials and one former official, were arrested in Soshanguve, a township near Pretoria.

The suspects were scheduled to appear in the Soshanguve Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. Sassa regional executive manager in Gauteng, Godfrey Molahonyane, welcomed the arrests and reaffirmed the agency’s stance against fraud and corruption. “We welcome these arrests and commend the SAPS Provincial Investigating Unit, together with our internal Fraud and Compliance teams, for their decisive and co-ordinated action,” he said. Sassa maintains a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption.