The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Mpumalanga has announced that its Mkhondo office, which was formerly known as Piet Retief, has reopened its doors.
This comes after two senior officials and three unidentified men, who are believed to be traditional healers, were caught on security cameras performing rituals in the office after hours on 17 April 2024.
The senior manager reviewed CCTV footage after staff reported finding residues of needles and other muthi-like substances in the office.
On Sunday, Mpumalanga MEC for Social Development Lindiwe Ntshalintshali and executives from the SASSA held a debriefing with staff.
The leaders also invited local pastors who led a mass prayer session at the office where the rituals were performed in addition to the fumigation and thorough deep cleaning.
“The intervention led the office to be reopened on Monday and the public was informed through various social media channels and stakeholders,” the statement read.
According to the agency, services are now back to normal, while staff will continue to receive counselling services through a wellness programme.
“As part of continuous support, officials have agreed to utilise the services if [they] still need further counselling.”
The Deputy Minister of Social Development, Dr Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, also held a debriefing session on Thursday with officials to encourage and motivate them to continue serving the community with resilience.
Bogopane-Zulu also committed to providing all the necessary support to staff.
According to SASSA, the incident is currently under investigation to determine the reason for the actual occurrence and appropriate remedies. – SAnews.gov.za
