The number of fraudsters who have applied for amnesty regarding social grant embezzlement has swelled to 300 000, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported on Wednesday.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health said the numbers were growing as the department received more data from the various districts.
A record 36 000 people have applied for amnesty in Limpopo alone.
”As the department, we have given people an opportunity to apply for amnesty, up until March 31.
”Those who didn’t do it, those who didn’t apply for amnesty, the department will take drastic steps against them,” said the spokesperson.
Mbulelo Musi, spokesperson for the Department of Social Development, reported an ”avalanche” of people who rushed to apply for the indemnity before the deadline.
The indemnity was offered on December 12 last year by Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya to those receiving social grants to which they are not entitled.
Musi said it is difficult to quantify the number of fraudulent grant recipients.
”We have gone public about the fact that we are losing about R1,5-billion a year,” Musi said.
The department identified people illegally receiving social grants for the dead and for non-existent children, those with imaginary disabilities and invented old-age pensioners.
”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,” Skweyiya said.
”The days of those receiving grants for ghost beneficiaries are indeed numbered”.
The verification of those entitled to receive grants legally will begin on April 1. — Sapa