1 February 2008
Over 21 000 public servants have been barred from receiving social grants and over 6 000 charged with defrauding the goverment - saving the state an estimated R7.7-billion - since the Special Investigating Unit began investigating fraud within South Africa's social security system three years ago.
"Almost three years on, there has been a dramatic turnaround in the social grant system, from one riddled with irregularities and fraud to a system that South Africans can be proud of," Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said in a statement this week.
The Special Investigating Unit, together with the Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency, began investigating fraud and corruption in the administration of the country's social grants in April 2005.
According to the department, since the start of the investigation - involving nearly 200 investigators - 21 588 government employees have been found to be on the system irregularly and have been removed, 143 485 have been recommended for removal, and 123 610 grants have been cancelled due to non-collection or direct requests from beneficiaries.
A further 6 693 people have been arrested and brought to court, where according to the department the conviction rate stands at more than 80%.
Investigations have also resulted in acknowledgement of debts amounting to R77 545-million and a total of R16.6-million being recovered from disentitled beneficiaries
South Africa's social grants system has been systematically "cleansed", Skweyiya said, with the closing of loopholes that allowed for abuse and the introduction of regular audits of the social pension system.
"This will provide serious deterrents to public servants who are tempted to try and exploit the system," Skweyiya said.
Source: BuaNews
