DA demands accountability and immediate action on SRD grant fraud allegations
23 October 2024
Today, two Stellenbosch University students presented to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development the alleged wide-scale fraud within the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant system. The DA is disappointed that SASSA was ill-prepared to respond to the serious allegations, which they have been aware of for years.
The DA will not allow SASSA to evade their responsibility. SASSA is due to appear before the Portfolio Committee in a month to report back.
In the meantime, we are calling for the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to investigate the SRD R370 grant application and payment system and for the Chapter 4: Inspectorate for Social Assistance to be urgently capacitated as an independent body as envisioned in The Social Assistance Act. The Inspectorate for Social Assistance has a variety of functions, including to conduct investigations to maintain the integrity of the social assistance systems, to investigate fraud, execute internal audits, and the like. The DA will not hesitate to lay charges against those who have illegally benefited from the SRD grant—funds that are meant to support the most vulnerable members of our society.
The Minister’s recent request for more time to respond to these allegations, citing SASSA’s unpreparedness, is nothing more than an attempt to shield SASSA and the DSD from embarrassment. The reality is that SASSA has been fully aware of these fraud issues for years, yet they have consistently failed to act.