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More than three million people also applied for funds, including the FIU and NSFAS, despite having other sources of income.
The Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, informed the media on December 11, 2020 about the implementation of the special COVID-19 social relief under the Department of Social Development. Image: @ The_DSD / Twitter
CAPE TOWN – Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu said on Friday that more than 8,000 applicants had attempted to defraud the government by using the personal data of deceased persons to access special COVID-19 grants.
More than three million people also applied for funds, including the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), despite having other sources of income.
“The main concern is that more than 8,000 applicants were found to be using the personal data of deceased persons,” Zulu said.
The minister gave an update on the implementation of the special COVID-19 social relief under the Department of Social Development.
ALSO READ: More than 11 million people received special COVID grants worth R15.5 billion
Zulu vowed that his department would come for those who tried to defraud the system.
“This is not only illegal but criminal. Thanks to our investment in limiting and detecting fraud, we can now act quickly to deal with suspicious cases and combat fraud by working with other government entities and law enforcement agencies, ”said the minister.
To date, the department had distributed R13.5 billion from the fund to more than six million eligible beneficiaries.
Of the 9.5 million applications processed in November, nearly seven million were approved and paid.
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