The SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) has dismissed 14 Eastern Cape officials for fraud and corruption.
Another 11 officials are facing disciplinary hearings.
Spokesperson Tabisa Nondwayi said all the cases had been referred to the police for criminal investigation.
She said the agency had also applied for preservation orders to recover about R3m in public funds.
Nondwayi said investigations had uncovered internal fraud at several local offices in the province.
These included Komani, Mdantsane, Dutywa, Libode, eMaxesibeni, Duncan Village, Zwide and Qonce, formerly King William’s Town.
She said the cases involved the fraudulent approval of social grants, unlawful changes to beneficiaries’ bank account details and other irregular grant administration practices.
Sassa Eastern Cape regional manager Bandile Maqetuka said every act of fraud committed against the agency was theft from the poorest and most vulnerable members of society.
He said grants were a lifeline for millions of South Africans.
“We have both a constitutional and moral obligation to protect every cent entrusted to the agency. We will not hesitate to take decisive disciplinary and criminal action against any official who abuses their position for personal gain,” he said.
“Corruption has no place in Sassa, and anyone found guilty of defrauding the agency will face the full might of the law.”
Maqetuka said the dismissals showed Sassa was serious about restoring public confidence in the administration of social grants.
He said the agency remained committed to strengthening governance, tightening internal controls and working closely with law enforcement agencies.
“We are cleaning the system from within while simultaneously protecting it from external fraud,” he said.
“Every official entrusted with serving our beneficiaries must uphold the highest standards of integrity, accountability and ethical conduct.”
He appealed to beneficiaries, employees and the public to report suspected fraud or corruption.
The provincial crackdown followed a warning last month by Sassa chief executive Themba Matlou.
He said officials who bypassed the agency’s biometric verification system to approve fraudulent grant applications would be charged and dismissed.
He said Sassa would seek preservation orders against their Government Employees Pension Fund benefits through the high courts.
“We have introduced various measures to root out fraudulent and corrupt elements at Sassa and we are not going to rest until we know that we have officials who are ready to serve our people with integrity,” he said.
“As such we introduced the Beneficiary Biometric Enrollment to deal with identity theft, thus ensuring that we pay social grants to deserving beneficiaries.”
In May, Sassa told parliament’s standing committee on appropriations that 43 officials had been dismissed nationally in the 2025/26 financial year.
They were fired for fraud, theft, corruption and serious maladministration, with 65 further disciplinary cases still being handled by the agency’s labour relations unit.
IOL
Brandon Nel
iol.co.za