The Department of Social Development has managed to recoup only R2.3-million of R149-million stolen through social grant fraud.
Briefing the media yesterday on the SA Social Security Agency's (Sassa) attempts to minimise social grant fraud, Minister Bathabile Dlamini said that cases with a value of R149-million had been finalised over the past three years. But only R2.3-million of this was successfully recouped.
Dlamini said this small amount was mostly due to the fact that people involved were unemployed women and youth.
"It's easier when it's a government official because you can recoup the funds, but most people involved in crime are unemployed," she said.
The number of fraud cases registered with the department has shown a massive drop from 3571 in 2013-2014 to 1072 in the past financial year.
This is predominantly due to the re-registration of all beneficiaries in 2012 and the introduction of biometrics such as fingerprints and other personal information on the Sassa card.
The department now also aims to introduce biometrics for its staff, and an inspectorate to further root out grants fraud.
Dlamini said that 10 "complex" fraud cases, with a combined value of R22-million, had also been finalised in the past year.
Sassa's general manager for fraud, risk management and compliance Renay Ogle said that these included cracking down on an identity theft ring in Mthatha, a syndicate of ghost medical practitioners in Gugulethu, and the issuing of social grants without beneficiary files in KwaZulu-Natal.
Other cases were procurement-related, she said.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
R146m of grants funds still missing
The Department of Social Development has managed to recoup only R2.3-million of R149-million stolen through social grant fraud.
Briefing the media yesterday on the SA Social Security Agency's (Sassa) attempts to minimise social grant fraud, Minister Bathabile Dlamini said that cases with a value of R149-million had been finalised over the past three years. But only R2.3-million of this was successfully recouped.
Dlamini said this small amount was mostly due to the fact that people involved were unemployed women and youth.
"It's easier when it's a government official because you can recoup the funds, but most people involved in crime are unemployed," she said.
The number of fraud cases registered with the department has shown a massive drop from 3571 in 2013-2014 to 1072 in the past financial year.
This is predominantly due to the re-registration of all beneficiaries in 2012 and the introduction of biometrics such as fingerprints and other personal information on the Sassa card.
The department now also aims to introduce biometrics for its staff, and an inspectorate to further root out grants fraud.
Dlamini said that 10 "complex" fraud cases, with a combined value of R22-million, had also been finalised in the past year.
Sassa's general manager for fraud, risk management and compliance Renay Ogle said that these included cracking down on an identity theft ring in Mthatha, a syndicate of ghost medical practitioners in Gugulethu, and the issuing of social grants without beneficiary files in KwaZulu-Natal.
Other cases were procurement-related, she said.
For more stories like this one, be sure to buy the Sowetan newspaper from Mondays to Fridays
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