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Nine held in social grant fraud blitz

DISGRUNTLED: Some of the people at the re-registration point in Midrand who complained about not getting a chance to apply for social grants . PHOTO: MOHAU MOFOKENG
DISGRUNTLED: Some of the people at the re-registration point in Midrand who complained about not getting a chance to apply for social grants . PHOTO: MOHAU MOFOKENG

Nine people suspected of defrauding the social welfare system have been arrested at the SA Social Security Agency's (Sassa) office in Gugulethu.

Sassa regional executive manager Waldi Terblanche told the newspaper police and anti-fraud unit officers surrounded and "locked down the office" after the arrests on Thursday, to ensure nothing was tampered with.

"All staff have been placed on immediate temporary leave. We have arrested two staff members, and two former staff members, and five people from the community, including a former employee of the department of social development," Terblanche was quoted as saying.

Staff had been brought in from outside offices in the Western Cape to ensure services continued.

According to the report, the alleged crimes involved fraud of at least R183,000, and the alleged issuing of fraudulent grants.

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