The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is moving to recover more than R315 million in social grants allegedly paid to ineligible public servants in KwaZulu-Natal.
The agency has joined forces with provincial government departments to recover the money and prevent further irregular payments.
SASSA says government employees who unlawfully received social grants must repay the funds.
The move forms part of a broader crackdown on fraud and corruption in the social grant system.
SASSA TARGETS IRREGULAR GRANT PAYMENTS
SASSA KwaZulu-Natal Regional Executive Manager Thamo Mzobe confirmed that public servants in the province owe the agency more than R315 million.
Mzobe said SASSA has entered into a partnership with heads of provincial government departments to address the problem.
The agreement will allow the agency to work with departments to identify ineligible beneficiaries and recover outstanding amounts.
Mzobe said the agency would adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards public servants who continue to receive grants unlawfully while earning government salaries.
He stressed that public funds must be protected and recovered from those who were not entitled to receive them.
The recovery drive forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure that social assistance reaches qualifying beneficiaries.
SOCIAL GRANT REVIEWS CONTINUE
In April 2025, SASSA announced a grant review process aimed at identifying potentially fraudulent or irregular payments.
The process seeks to determine whether beneficiaries continue to meet the eligibility requirements for their grants.
Not all public servants are automatically disqualified from receiving social grants. Eligibility depends on the type of grant and the applicable requirements.
However, employees who receive means-tested grants without meeting the financial criteria may be required to repay money received unlawfully.
SASSA’s latest announcement puts renewed attention on the controls used to verify beneficiaries’ income and employment status.
The agency has not specified how long it expects the recovery of the outstanding R315 million to take.