By: Kaya News Reporter
The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) reportedly lost over R11 million after 30,000 people benefitted improperly from the R350 Covid-19 social relief grant.
This after SASSA confirmed the agency would be taking action against government employees who applied for the R350 grant.
The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse called for all government officials who were benefitting from the fund to be fired.
This is happening AGAIN? Fire and prosecute all @GovernmentZA officials caught out. This is #fraud, plain and simple. Will also save taxpayers a bundle in salaries.
Sassa to take action against government employees applying for R350 grants https://t.co/8PYP9DQl10 via @SowetanLIVE— OUTA (@OUTASA) September 1, 2021
Initially, the Auditor General found that at least 67,000 people had benefitted improperly from the relief grant with an estimated R23 million cost to the state.
Following the Auditor General’s findings, SASSA investigated further and moved to halt payment to the incorrect grant recipients.
Executive for Grants Administration at SASSA, Dianne Dunkerley said, “There are monthly validations done across all the databases that we have access to. So it doesn’t matter what the previous decision was. In the new month, we will go and validate those against the updated information that we have received to make sure that on a month by month basis, the beneficiaries do in fact qualify for the grant.
Also read: No vaccine, no grant! SASSA clarifies misinformation



