Bail granted to fraud-accused Sassa employees

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Ten suspended employees of the South African Social Security Agency have been granted bail by the Lenasia Magistrates’ Court. This comes after 11 Sassa employees were arrested earlier this year, for allegedly defrauding the agency of over R4 million.

“The fourth accused, Ethiopian national Abenezer Tilahyn, was denied bail after the court ruled, he posed a flight risk,” said National Prosecuting Authority Spokesperson, Phindi Mjonondwane.

The bail amounts granted to the accused 10 ranged from R10 000 to R30 000 each. The accused were also instructed to surrender their travel documents, as part of the bail conditions.

A LITANY OF CHARGES FOR FRAUD-ACCUSED SASSA EMPLOYEES

Accused number one in the case is Shumani Khwerana. Together with his co-accused, they face multiple charges ranging from fraud, theft and cyber crime.

According to the NPA, the suspended Sassa employees orchestrated a scheme where they created fake Sassa profiles that enabled them to fraudulently deposit and withdraw monies from various SASSA pay points.

THE DETAILS SURROUNDING BAIL

Prior to the court granting the accused bail, their affidavits from the investigating officer, Constable Manana, and two affidavits from Mazimela Kubeka, a senior internal investigator at SASSA, were reviewed.

Mjonondwane said, “These documents outlined how the accused were implicated in the alleged crimes. The court found no evidence that the ten accused, excluding Tilahyn, were flight risks or that they would interfere with evidence or the investigation.

As a precaution, the court prohibited the accused from interfering with the ongoing investigation or any state witnesses.

THE NPA ACCEPTS COURT RULING

“The National Prosecuting Authority respects the court’s ruling, which marks only a stage in the legal process,” said Mjonondwane.

She vowed that the court’s ruling would not deter the NPA’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency within the public sector.

The matter has been postponed to 2 September 2025 for further investigation. SASSA also confirmed that the implicated employees no longer had access to any of its systems.