Fifty-two Western Cape government officials will appear in court on Thursday and Friday, the national and regional departments of social development said in a joint statement on Wednesday.
”The 52 will be appearing in court for allegedly defrauding the social-grant system,” said spokesperson Lakela Kaunda.
The Western Cape has identified 1 400 cases for investigation.
The 52 officials are the first group identified to appear in court.
Kaunda said the cases are part of a ”broader national campaign to address the irregularities identified within the social-grant system”.
Earlier this year, during his Budget vote speech, Minister of Social Development Zola Skweyiya announced the launch of a national strategy to tackle fraud and corruption within the social-grant system.
Since then, 181 officials, nationally, have been brought to justice for their unlawful conduct.
Nationally, there are about 41 000 public servants receiving social grants.
”They are being investigated to ascertain whether they are eligible to receive them,” Kaunda said.
The majority of these cases relate to child-support grants.
”Similar operations will commence in other provinces in the coming months,” she said. — Sapa