2 “Pensioners” Who Made Millions While Getting Sassa Grants Arrested for Fronting, SA Thinks gogos Were Used

• Two pensioners were caught cashing in on the Sassa old age grant while their companies made millions
• Both women were arrested for septate cases of theft, fraud and perjury and are directors at the companies
• South Africa thinks the scheme goes deeper than what police are reporting, and the women are being used by someone more powerful

PRETORIA - Two pensioners have been arrested in separate cases of theft, fraud and perjury for collecting South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) grants while companies in their name racked in millions from tenders.

South Africans believe the two women are just the tip of the iceberg and that someone else is pulling the strings. Some have even speculated that pensioners aren't the real owner of the registered companies.

One of the pensioners, Salmina Khoza, was listed as the sole director of three companies and bagged tenders from the police service worth over R60 million, TimesLIVE reported.

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When applying for the Sassa grant in 2014, the 68-year-old claimed that she did not have an income and was surviving on R400 generated from selling atchar.

The other woman arrested, Singamoney Sarathomoney Devi from Centurion, is the sole director of KJP Traders and secured tenders worth more than R80 million also from the police. Devi claimed that she had no source of income and hadn't worked in the past 20 years.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) claims that the two women are part of a scheme in which they are used as fronts. The spokesperson for the NPA's Investigative Directorate, Sindiswe Seboka, said the arrests were concerning because the women were misappropriating Sassa funds which should be directed at people who need them.

According to SowetanLIVE, Khoza has been released on a warning and will reappear in court in March 2023. Devi was released on R5 000 bail, and her case has been postponed to February.

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South Africans weigh in on the arrest of the two pensioners

Citizens called for the police to arrest those pulling the string behind the scenes.

Here are some comments:

Dilika Waka Siweya said:

"Nooooo, they must go deeper to establish the real owners of such companies."

Lizo Dikana claimed:

"They used these Gogos sorry for them but surprisingly, one got out on warning and the other one on R5K bail. How does it work?"

Tshireletso Victor Seokolo speculated:

"And they will still protect the mastermind behind this."

Modidi Ronald Modibe added:

"I bet they were fronting for government officials."

Marlene Daniels demanded:

"Find the big guns behind this plot."

Cisco Dee marvelled:

"No way, I dont agree with you...I mean, two pensioners how possible..the real mastermind behind this looting is hiding somewhere."

Sassa payments: Mother says her family is on the brink of starvation due to non-payment of child Grant

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In another story, Briefly News reported that while the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) has claimed that its non-payment issues have been resolved, thousands of citizens who solely rely on social grants have gone to bed hungry for the past week. Beneficiaries who use gold cards were told there was a glitch at the South African Post Office (SAPO) that resulted in people being unable to withdraw their money.

Among those affected by the non-payment is a 43-year-old mother who uses the government's monthly R430 grant to support her 12-year-old child. Speaking to Briefly News, Maryna Maré Visagie said she felt defeated after not receiving the cash she depends on.

Source: Briefly News