Four Women Sentenced in R61,000 Sassa ‘Ghost Children’ Fraud Scheme
A group of four women has been handed suspended prison sentences for orchestrating a grant fraud scheme.
This comes after they illegally claimed child support grants for non-existent children through the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa).
The fraudulent scheme, which ran from 2012 to 2023, was exposed following a tip-off, leading to their arrest and sentencing by the Nelspruit Serious Commercial Crime Court, IOL reveals.
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How the Fraud Was Carried Out
According to Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, the four women—Nonhlanhla Madalane (36), Tswarelo Masuku (32), Nelile Shiba (29), and Prudence Nkosi (31)—collaborated with two unidentified health workers to fabricate proof of birth for fake children.
They then registered these ‘ghost children’ with the Department of Home Affairs and obtained fraudulent birth certificates. Using these fake documents, they successfully applied for and received child support grants from Sassa.
Whistleblower Exposes the Scam
The fraudulent operation came to light after an anonymous whistleblower reported the case to the Public Service Commission. The commission escalated the matter to authorities, and the Hawks Nelspruit Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit took over the case.
Investigators uncovered that the fraudulent activities had been ongoing for over a decade, with the last reported fraudulent claims detected in 2023.
Sentencing and Financial Repayment
The women were arrested in May 2023 and granted bail while awaiting trial. After several court appearances, they were each sentenced to five years in prison, suspended for five years, on the condition that they do not commit any further fraud-related offenses.
Additionally, they were ordered to repay Sassa in installments as follows:
- Madalane: R20,330
- Masuku: R20,238
- Shiba & Nkosi: R10,344 each
Hawks Applaud the Conviction
Major General Nico Gerber, the Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Hawks, praised investigators for their thorough work in exposing the scam and ensuring justice.
He emphasized that crime ultimately does not pay, as the convicted fraudsters are now required to reimburse the stolen funds.
Major Gerber stressed that state grants are meant to support the poor and vulnerable, not to be exploited by individuals looking to benefit dishonestly.