The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) is under renewed scrutiny amid reports of individuals selling queue positions outside its offices, a practice the agency has condemned as illegal and deeply exploitative.
The issue primarily affects some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens, including the elderly, people living with disabilities, and those dependent on social grants for survival. It has also raised broader concerns about service delivery failures and the potential exploitation of desperation.
SASSA spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi addressed the matter, confirming that the practice was first identified in certain areas and that investigations are underway. He emphasised that while isolated incidents have been detected, the problem is not widespread.
“We have picked up pockets of it all over the country,” Letsatsi said. “We should be able to make sure that it comes to a stop very soon.”
He noted that SASSA’s fraud management unit has been monitoring the situation and has identified approximately 10 locations where the issue has emerged. With close to 500 SASSA offices nationwide, these represent a very small percentage, he added.
Letsatsi assured that the majority of SASSA offices continue to provide services for free, in line with their mandate.
When asked how the practice had been allowed to take root, Letsatsi rejected the notion that it was being permitted, pointing instead to opportunistic criminals exploiting system disruptions.
He explained that in some cases, individuals deliberately damage infrastructure, such as stealing cables, causing systems to go offline. This forces staff to process applications manually, resulting in longer queues. Criminals then approach vulnerable people in these extended lines, offering to “help” them in exchange for payment.
On the question of possible complicity by SASSA officials, Letsatsi said the investigation is ongoing and that he would provide clearer details in the next two to three weeks.
“I know that the majority of SASSA officials adhere to the prescripts or rules of the government,” he stated. However, he acknowledged suspicions that some individuals might be turning a blind eye in exchange for illicit gains. “We smell a rat,” he added, while stressing the need to base statements on facts.
SASSA expects each beneficiary to spend no more than 20 minutes being served. Letsatsi highlighted that many services can now be accessed online, though he acknowledged that a significant portion of beneficiaries lack access to the necessary technology and must therefore visit offices in person.
To protect vulnerable groups in the interim, SASSA has instructed all offices to give priority attention to the elderly and people with disabilities. Staff have been directed to act like queue marshals—assessing needs and fast-tracking those who are frail or unable to wait long, similar to practices in banks.
Finally, Letsatsi outlined plans for extensive beneficiary education campaigns to inform grant recipients of their rights and to make it clear that all SASSA services are free.
“Some people don’t even know that these services are actually for free,” he said. “We are going to engage on an extensive beneficiary education so that people are aware that these people don’t work for SASSA. They are criminals.”
Letsatsi concluded that the situation is under control and that further clarity on the investigations would be provided within two to three weeks.