SASSA News — July 2026
SASSA dismissed 14 Eastern Cape officials on 8 July 2026 following investigations into grant fraud and corruption at regional offices across the province.
A further 11 officials are facing disciplinary hearings. SASSA has applied for pension fund preservation orders against those dismissed — seeking to freeze their Government Employees Pension Fund (GEPF) benefits until the estimated R3 million in losses is recovered — and has referred all cases to the South African Police Service for criminal investigation.
According to SASSA and reporting by IOL, SABC News, and The Herald, the Eastern Cape officials were found to have:
The pattern — particularly the unauthorised banking detail changes — mirrors the method used by external fraudsters targeting the SRD system. In this case, however, the perpetrators were SASSA employees with direct system access.
Eastern Cape Regional Manager Bandile Maqetuka confirmed the dismissals and was direct about the agency’s position:
“Corruption has no place in SASSA, and anyone found guilty of defrauding the agency will face the full might of the law.”
SASSA confirmed that all 14 dismissed officials have been reported to SAPS and that the agency will pursue criminal prosecution in addition to the civil recovery proceedings.
The Eastern Cape dismissals bring the total number of SASSA officials nationally dismissed for fraud, corruption, and related misconduct in the 2025/26 financial year to at least 57 (43 dismissed before July, plus the 14 in Eastern Cape). A further 76 disciplinary cases remain pending.
The broader disciplinary context:
| Event | Date | Officials |
|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg fraud ring arrested — R260M scheme | March 2025 | 3 arrested, 8 total implicated |
| 4 Gauteng officials arrested — R4.9M fraud | February 2026 | 4 arrested |
| 43 officials dismissed nationally | May 2026 | 43 dismissed |
| Eastern Cape — 14 dismissed, 11 facing hearings | July 8, 2026 | 25 affected |
SASSA CEO Themba Matlou had issued a direct public warning in June 2026: any official who manually bypasses the biometric verification system to approve fraudulent grants faces immediate dismissal, criminal prosecution, and a court application to freeze GEPF pension benefits.
If your grant payments have been disrupted, or your banking details were changed without your knowledge, at an Eastern Cape SASSA office, you should:
SASSA has confirmed that legitimate beneficiaries whose payments were disrupted due to internal fraud will have their grants reinstated once their identity and banking details are verified.
The investigation covered offices in Komani, Mdantsane, Dutywa, Libode, eMaxesibeni, Duncan Village, Zwide, and Qonce.
At least 57 officials have been dismissed nationally in the 2025/26 financial year, with 76 additional disciplinary cases still pending as of July 2026.
SASSA has implemented mandatory biometric verification for all beneficiaries, quarterly cybersecurity audits, a 24-hour security monitoring centre, and is actively pursuing GEPF pension preservation orders against dismissed officials to recover stolen funds.
Sources
IOL — “Sassa fires 14 Eastern Cape officials over social grant fraud” — 8 July 2026
The Herald — “Sassa fires 14 Eastern Cape officials for fraud and corruption” — 8 July 2026
SABC News — “SASSA fires 14 officials for alleged fraud in Eastern Cape” — 8 July 2026
Algoa FM — “SASSA fraud: 14 officials dismissed in EC” — 8 July 2026
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