WATCH | How Sowetan helped pensioner get his grant after 14-month nightmare

What had been a 14-month long nightmare for a Gauteng pensioner whose old age grant was being received by an imposter took Sowetan only four days to get Sassa to resolve. For over a year, a stranger in Mamelodi, northeast of Pretoria, had been usingSipho Mayo’s ID number and name to collect his old-age grant of R2,400 while the rightful beneficiary drowned in poverty. The 68-year-old man said despite SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) officials informing him that an imposter was receiving his old age grant, nothing was done to stop him.

However, it was only when Sowetan got involved that Sassa finally took action and the imposter’s gravy train ended. This came after Sowetan received Mayo’s complaint and forwarded it to the Sassa head office in Pretoria on Monday. The agency then blocked the imposter’s Sassa card, flagged his ID number, and approved Mayo’s grantapplication.

Sassa said it was initially not aware of Mayo’s case. “Upon receiving this [Sowetan] inquiry, the grant of the Mamelodi person has lapsed until he visits home affairs [offices] to apply for another ID,” said Sassa spokesperson Andile Tshona. “What we’ve discovered is that an ID number was issued to two individuals.

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This is not Sassa’s fault; and we believe the Beneficiary Biometric Enrolment that was introduced in September 2025 will assist in cases like these.” This news ended Mayo’s nightmare which began soon after his money from his private retirement fund ran out — leaving him without a stable source of income and forcing him to rely heavily on his wife’s grant. On Monday I started receiving multiple calls from the head office in Pretoria, and another call came from Mamelodi asking for documentation. On Tuesday they called again to tell me they have fixed my problem, and I need to go to Vosloorus to update my application “I’ve been surviving through the help of my wife, who has been very patient with me.

She has been taking care of the groceries and other costs. Mayo said progress only began after he approached Sowetan. On Tuesday they called again to tell me they have fixed my problem, and I need to go to Vosloorus to update my application,” he said.

Tshona confirmed the Mamelodi man had applied for and was approved for a grant in January 2025. Since then, the person had received a total of R33,360.96.

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