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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling on the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu and SASSA CEO Busisiwe Memela-Khambula to give urgent account before the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development on the more than 1 500 employees of the City of Johannesburg who fraudulently received the Special Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant of R350 as well as other grants payable from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).

We also call for the dismissal of those found responsible by the ongoing investigation by the Group Forensics and Investigation Services (GFIS). This investigation has already uncovered that 419 employees fraudulently benefited from the SRD grand and that 1 129 employees had other grants paid to them. These include social, child, military veterans and pensioners grants. The DA will follow the unfolding investigation closely and will request the full report once it has been finalized.

In a time when true SASSA beneficiaries have been struggling to get payment and assistance from the Agency and have been left vulnerable to hunger and disease, City of Johannesburg employees stole from those they’re mandated to serve. They sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the poorest in society and did not think twice about the effect their actions would have on millions of desperate South Africans. For their deplorable and criminal actions, they should be dismissed as well as face the full extent of the law.

South Africa has suffered at the hands of the corrupt for long enough. It is time that the track records of those in charge of our most vulnerable citizens be carefully examined and that the responsibility fall to someone capable and caring.

Issued by The DA