The Inkatha Freedom Party believes that the arrest of two men found in possession of 495 SASSA grant payment cards in Pietermaritzburg last week, is just the tip of the iceberg. We believe that there is a syndicate that is much bigger than it appears, and could involve officials within SASSA. This belief is supported by the additional arrest of a police officer, who was also found to be in possession of similar cards.

The rot within SASSA - where it appears that officials collude with thugs who are referred to as "stics" in our communities - is rampant. These two incidents inform us that there is potentially a syndicate in full operation in the province.

The two suspects should not be granted bail until they expose the big fish behind the misuse and squandering of taxpayers’ money. These individuals are stealing money that is mean for the poorest of the poor in our province, and are also placing immense strain on the provincial budget.

When this card system was introduced three years ago, the government assured us that the system could not be manipulated, due to its high technical standards.
 
However, what we see now is the opposite of what was promised. This explains why officials are involved, and should be made to answer for the millions of rand in taxpayers’ money that was lost.
 
We call upon the public at large not to get involved in activities that involve the unlawful receipt of social grants from the state. People must know that when they are caught out, they will face criminal prosecution, and if found guilty, they will have a criminal record.
 
We also appeal to those in the Justice System to leave no stone unturned in this matter, so that the rot is rooted out at SASSA.

Issued by IFP