Drastic action needs to be taken against department officials who abuse SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) funds, says Parliament’s social development committee.

“This is unacceptable and should be stamped out of our system,” the committee’s chairperson, Zoleka Capa, said.

“Social assistance is not for sale to unscrupulous officials of the department. We have a task of ensuring that the poorest of the poor get government assistance at no cost at all.”

On Monday, the Cape Times reported that Sassa had uncovered social grant fraud worth R7m at its Mitchell’s Plain office.

It also said a number of doctors were being investigated in relation to fraudulently filling out grant applications in Mitchell’s Plain and Gugulethu.

“If doctors are also so deeply involved… then there is reason for the committee to be worried. We cannot allow this sophisticated form of corruption… at the expense of poor people,” said Capa.

Sassa had also found through its investigations that a Mitchell’s Plain official was accepting cash to approve grants.

The official, who has been suspended, had arranged grants for 10 family members, with R172 132 being paid out, the newspaper said. His family had not filled out application forms, nor had they gone for medical assessments.

An investigation into how many grants were approved after bribes were paid to the official was still being investigated. There were reportedly 14 officials in the Mitchell’s Plain office under investigation for fraud, the newspaper said. News24