Days of 'ghost beneficiaries' numbered
2005-03-31
THE Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, has announced that from 1 April all beneficiaries receiving social grants will have to report to their nearest pay point for verification that they are entitled to receive a grant.
This is part of new measures to reduce fraud and corruption in the grants administration system.
Special arrangements will be made with the Department of Education and the educational fraternity so that all eligible school going children receiving grants are also verified without school disruption.
“The days of those receiving grants for ghost beneficiaries are indeed numbered.
“We have agreed with all provinces that as from 1 April 2005 a programme will begin where all beneficiaries receiving social grants will have to report to their nearest pay point to be verified or they will not receive their grants.
“This constitutes part of the campaign to make sure that people receiving grants for ghost beneficiaries whether at post offices, pay-points or banks, are identified and measures taken against them,” Dr Skweyiya said.
The Department of Social Development has identified people illegally receiving social grants for deceased people, non-existent children, non-existent people with disabilities and non-existent older persons.
“This state of affairs costs the government huge sums of money and we are going to make sure this situation is nipped in the bud,” the Minister said.
Over 5 000 people have thus far come forward to request indemnity since the Minister announced the anti-fraud and corruption campaign on 12 December. The campaign ends on 31 March.
A report from the Department indicates that since December not only have people come out for indemnity, but others have stopped claiming illegal grants without applying for indemnity. This has saved the Department millions of rands.
“We want to urge those who still receive grants illegally or those who received grants illegally but stopped claiming their grants, to apply for indemnity before the end of March or be liable for prosecution,” the Minister said.
The Department is currently working closely with the Scorpions, the Special Investigations Unit, the South African Police Services and the Justice Department in investigating various cases of fraud and corruption across the country against public servants, syndicates and the public.
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