Yes it escalates the call to forensic investigation on Sassa fraud

Please find attached an Soundbite of Alexandra Abrahams MP.

Today, yes he wrote to President Cyril Ramaphosa to act urgently on us DEMAnDfrom November 27, 2024, for a special probe of investigation unit (SIU) in terms of fraud within the Sassa SRD subsidy system. This investigation would contribute to the discovery of the impact on many vulnerable South -Africans, especially young people, who are not able to access the social subsidy for social exemption (SRD) due to fraudulent subsidies on their behalf.

Yesterday, the Parliamentary Committee for Social Development received the presentation of Sassa on the final audit report for the assessment of vulnerability and testing the SRD online system, as well as an update to the weaknesses and fraud in the SRD subsidies and the payment system. The presentation also covered the Sassa’s remediation plan in response to findings.

While Sassa has confirmed that the SRD online system is currently safe, yes it considers it extremely in terms of potentially malicious web sites that mimic the official Sassa site (https://srd.sassa.gov.za/) have not yet been removed. Through these unofficial fields, of which 20 were listed in the report, the personal details of the beneficiaries are compromised.

Yes understands that cyber security is a constantly evolving space, with thieves that constantly test the limits to access information and funds, but we expect Sassa to have the highest possible and best possible measures to mitigate the risks in force to protect the most vulnerable citizens in South Africa.

It refers deeply that the biometric verification process knows that your customer (KYC) is still temperamental, with Sassa confirming that the system is currently decreasing, while running biometric kiosks for local offices for beneficiaries who do not have smart phones to make facilities and facial checks, is still ongoing. The lack of identity verification was the fundamental design defect of the SRD system and has not yet been corrected.

We also consider that it is unacceptable that progress in phase 2, the investigation into weaknesses and fraud in the demand and payment system of the SRD subsidy, seems to have been blocked, because the reference conditions are incomplete.

The recommendation of the Department for Social Development for the Minister of Social Development, Minister Talashe, as a service provider with extensive experience in investigating the fraud of social subsidies with the ability to carry out digital forensic investigations, ecologizes the initial call of DA for an independent investigation by SIU in the fraud of social subsidies.

The concern is the refurbishment of the head of information Sassa (CIO) in Mpumalanga, instead of appearing in front of the Parliament to take into account what is essentially a tic crisis. Instead, he was appointed an EU in office which, together with the continuous suspension of the Sassa CEO (with full payment), arouses curiosity.

Sassa continues to navigate the crisis after the crisis, while the vulnerable South Africans fall through cracks.