The South African Social Services Agency (Sassa) has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that over R31 million has been paid to deceased beneficiaries of Social Grants between 2023 and 2024.
This shocking revelation was made in response to a question posed by the DA in parliament. In her written response, Minister of Social Development Lindiwe Zulu confirmed the occurrence of these irregular payments by Sassa over the past three years.
She acknowledged that there have been instances where social grant recipients who had passed away were mistakenly paid.
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This typically happens when a grant beneficiary dies after proof of life has been confirmed by the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), and the payment is subsequently released to the beneficiary’s bank account.
The monetary value of these erroneous payments in each of the past three years is as follows: R59,256,000 in 2021/2022, R50,372,000 in 2022/2023, and R31,928,000 in 2023/2024.
To address the issue and prevent the withdrawal of social grant funds, Sassa freezes the accounts of deceased beneficiaries through Post Bank. Additionally, a letter is sent to the next of kin, requesting the return of the erroneously paid money to Sassa.
Minister Zulu emphasized that Sassa works closely with the Department of Home Affairs to validate deceased data. They conduct monthly checks to confirm the life status of beneficiaries before generating a payment.
Payments are only made to beneficiaries who are confirmed to be alive, based on the validation outcomes. Political parties, including the ATM, have expressed outrage at the mismanagement of funds through these incorrect payments by Sassa.
The ATM spokesperson, Zama Ntshona, voiced deep concern about the irregularities in the distribution of social grants. Ntshona highlighted that such wastage of funds should be unacceptable, particularly in a country grappling with a high unemployment rate and a significant wealth disparity.
These revelations raise serious questions about the effectiveness of the South African government in ensuring proper oversight and accountability. The misallocation of funds intended for social grants undermines the trust in the system and also deprives those in genuine need of the support they deserve.
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