SASSA CEO Themba Matlou
South Africa’s social grants system has come under renewed scrutiny after the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) confirmed the dismissal of 43 officials linked to fraud, theft, corruption and serious maladministration.
The sweeping purge, revealed in Parliament on Wednesday, signalled an escalating internal battle inside one of the country’s most critical state institutions, which distributes billions of rand to millions of financially vulnerable citizens every month.
The dismissals have laid bare the extent of alleged misconduct operating within parts of the agency, intensifying concerns over the safeguarding of public funds intended for pensioners, children, people with disabilities and struggling households.
Senior officials from the Department of Social Development, SASSA and the National Development Agency appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations to account for budget spending and outline urgent reforms aimed at restoring credibility to the grants system.
