In a concerning development, the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has acknowledged that over 150,000 beneficiaries were left without their social grants last week. This number is more than double the initial report of 70,000, which raised alarms on Tuesday. SASSA attributed the delay to fraudulent activities affecting the accounts of the grant recipients.
According to Paseka Letsatsi, the spokesperson for SASSA, the issue arose due to “verification delays.” Letsatsi explained, “We are aware of non-payments, and this is a result of bank verifications, meaning that the details provided to us do not perfectly match or correspond to the ones registered in the bank. For example, you may find that a name has been misspelled or a letter is missing.”
The matter came to light when the Auditor General flagged certain payments with apparent irregularities, prompting an investigation by SASSA. Letsatsi stated, “There is an increase suddenly of people opening bank accounts, targeting one bank account. When we investigate, we find that the real beneficiary, when they come to withdraw the money month-end, there is no money because it has been taken by fraudsters.”
This disruption in social grant payments has raised concerns about the financial stability of the affected individuals, as many rely heavily on these grants as their primary source of income.
In response to the situation, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has criticized the African National Congress (ANC) for their failure to ensure timely grant payments. The DA expressed concern over potential delays in reapplication processes, leaving beneficiaries without funds for an extended period.
“The DA has been inundated with concerns from beneficiaries that they might have to reapply and be without their funds for months. Their fears are further flamed and preyed upon by unfounded remarks that social grants will ‘likely disappear’ should the ANC be voted out later this year,” The DA stated.
As SASSA grapples with the aftermath of this payment glitch, questions linger about the effectiveness of their verification processes and the impact on the most vulnerable members of society. The need for a swift resolution and preventative measures against fraudulent activities remains paramount to ensure the uninterrupted flow of social grants to those who depend on them.
