Investigations into fraud, corruption and maladministration in South Africa’s social-grant system have saved the government about R7,7-billion since inception, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said on Monday.
”The investigations have saved the government a total of R7,7-billion. 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 more proud of,” Skweyiya said.
In 2005, Skweyiya tasked the special investigating unit (SIU) — initially called the Heath investigating unit under former president Nelson Mandela but changed to the SIU in 2001 — with investigating fraud, corruption and maladministration that ”plagued the social-grant system”.
He gave SIU a mandate to review and improve systems and make systemic recommendations to the department on closing the gaps that existed and allowed for corruption within the system.
In collaboration with officials from Department of Social Development and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), SIU investigated public-sector employees.
Skweyiya said the SIU’s investigation and vigorous prosecutions led to an improved culture of legal compliance.
”Irregular and disentitled beneficiaries are brought to book and held liable for criminal conduct,” he said.
He also announced a national campaign that SASSA will embark on in attempting to enforce compliance at pay points, where a number of compliance teams will be deployed throughout the country.
He said the campaign is intended to highlight areas of improvement and will entail inspecting pay points to determine whether or not they comply with norms and standards. — Sapa