About 2 000 cases of irregular deductions from Western Cape Sassa beneficiaries have been reported since the start of February.
|||Cape Town - At least 2 000 cases of irregular deductions from the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) beneficiaries have been reported since the start of this month.
Sassa’s regional manager, Waldie Terblanche, made the revelation after more than 50 beneficiaries called an emergency community meeting at the Manenberg People’s Centre to address issues of fraud within Sassa on Wednesday.
Terblanche said: “We have submitted information about the deductions that is taking place to our service provider to investigate and try and find solutions to the challenges that we are experiencing.”
He said there were “certainly” illegal deductions being made from beneficiaries’ accounts, adding there were 1 million Sassa beneficiaries in the Western Cape.
“There are, however, also deductions made where beneficiaries themselves or a family member either purchased airtime and electricity and there are also deductions where beneficiaries divulged information such as their ID number, Sassa card number and even their PINs to people calling them with promises that they have won a prize or will receive additional money or a food parcel,” he said.
Although Sassa’s National Fraud Management and Compliance Department are investigating two cases involving illegal deductions which implicated a former Sassa employee, vulnerable Sassa beneficiaries who rely on their grants are still experiencing unsolicited deductions.
In December, five Sassa employees based at the Gugulethu office were dismissed after they were found guilty of fraud amounting to R70 000.
Previously, Sihle Ngobese, the spokesman for MEC of Social Development Albert Fritz, said the ministry had dealt with 602 fraud-related cases since 2010.
In Manenberg on Wednesday, irate beneficiaries said “enough is enough”.
Meeting organiser, Michelle Klaasen, said: “During election times, politicians make their way to townships and on the Cape Flats. But when it is time for them to give real answers, they do not show up.”
She was referring to a Sassa representative who was expected to join the meeting but didn’t.
Klaasen said: “We are going to write our affidavits and march to the police station to hand them over. We are giving them one week to give us answers.”
Terblanche said the agency’s Athlone office had not received a request to attend a meeting.
“We will attend any such meeting if arrangements are made with our office manager or senior staff.
“We are doing what we can to resolve this matter.
“We know that is causing a lot of hardship and unhappiness. We want to give you the assurance that we are doing what we can to resolve the matter,” Terblanche said.
gadeeja.abbas@inl.co.za
Cape Argus