The South African Social Security Agency CEO, Totsie Memela, has lauded the role played by the agency’s anti-fraud strategy in the case of a former SASSA employee, who has been sentenced for fraud.
The Mbizana Regional Court in the Eastern Cape recently sentenced Nombuso Lynette Dlamini, 44, and Siyasanga Gqamane, 31, for defrauding the State of approximately R1.2 million between 2006 and 2011.
Dlamini, a former clerk at SASSA, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, two of which were suspended for five years, with stringent conditions. Gqamane, the mastermind behind the fraud, was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years, with stringent conditions.
In another case, 23 suspects have appeared in the Nelspruit Regional Court for using identity documents of the public to register fraudulent grants. Their case has been remanded to 4 September 2020.
Also in Mpumalanga, another syndicate will appear in court on Friday, charged for trying to hack the SASSA system with some sophisticated gadgets.
Memela said these continuous breakthroughs made by law enforcement agencies bear testimony to the resilience of the SASSA anti-fraud strategy, which is anchored on the prevention, detection and strengthening of internal controls, among others.
“This strategy is driven by multi-disciplinary teams of law enforcers, who collaborate to detect fraud and unleash the might of the law on those suspected of committing it. We have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and will stop at nothing to root it out at first sight. Criminals - be warned,” Memela said.
SASSA also works with institutions from the banking industry in the fight against fraud and corruption.
“All these partnerships should present fraudsters with a mountain to climb if they plan to defraud SASSA in the future,” said Memela.
The public is urged to report cases of corruption to the anti-corruption hotline on 0800 43 43 73.
“We need to work together even more with the public to fight corruption and ensure that public funds are not abused by anyone,” Memela said. – SAnews.gov.za
