Social Development Minister Sisisi Tolashe on Wednesday made a commitment to investigate the alleged weaknesses in social grant payments and fraud in the R350 grant applications, and report to Parliament within a month.

Tolashe, a departmental team and the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) appeared before the social development portfolio committee on Wednesday.

The committee was briefed by Stellenbosch University computer science students, Veer Gosai and Joel Cedras, who applied for the R350 social relief of distress (SRD) grant to no avail.

Gosai and Cedras had conducted an informal survey on campus to check if other students had applied for the SRD.

They generated ID numbers and fed these into the SRD system, which indicated if a number has an application or not.

The pair found that applications were opened and monies deposited into bank accounts without the person’s knowledge.

Gosai and Cedras told the MPs that their survey found that there was no authentication on the SRD grant system and that it was too easy to apply for the grant.

They recommended that Sassa restarts the SRD grant as there were many applications made without people’s knowledge.

“Restarting allows for Sassa to re-verify anyone with stricter verification processes to combat fraud.”

They proposed that there should be facial or biometric verification.

“Those who do not have smart phones can go to their local Sassa offices to complete their verification,” read their presentation.

ANC MP Moyagabo Makgato said the presentation by the students made serious allegations that have financial, security and other implications.

“This is particularly concerning that there is a critical role played by Sassa in serving millions of South Africans,” Makgato said.

Her colleague Tshilidzi Munyai said while he had expected a technical report that demonstrated the technical issues, they took the issues raised seriously.

EFF MP Paulnita Marais said beneficiaries were struggling to apply for the grants due to glitches in the Sassa systems.

“We need to come up with how we address these flaws,” she said.

ActionSA’s Dereleen James told the committee of instances when Sassa was alerted to beneficiaries finding out they were already applied when they made applications as far back as 2023.

Tolashe thanked the students and the MPs for providing her with a history of the problem they were dealing with.

“This suggests this (issue) is not new. With all weaknesses we did not adhere to the advice. When ordinary members raise their views they are not heard,” she said.

“I really appreciate these two young men for bringing us closer to where the problem is,” Tolashe said.

“It means even on our exit our country will be in good hands.

“The bravery they displayed, the wisdom showed they are on it. We have leaders in them,” she added.

She said the matter needed to be urgently investigated.

“I appeal to say that myself and the deputy minister take upon ourselves to find out what animal is this, how far and how much it ate up on our fiscus.”

Tolashe stopped Sassa from making a presentation on the security of its system to the committee as there was nothing tangible to present to the MPs.

“It is urgent to quickly deal with this matter.”

Cape Times