Sassa official granted bail after demanding bribe from pensioner

A South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) administrator who allegedly demanded money from a pensioner has been granted R1 500 bail after appearing in the Mogwase Magistrate’s Court in Rustenburg today.

Boipelo Eugenia Ramafoko, who was arrested by the Hawks Serious Investigation team on corruption charges on Thursday, allegedly solicited a R3 000 bribe from a 63-year-old man who was applying for a pension grant at the Sassa offices in December 2024.

Suspect’s demands

North West Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Amogelang Malwetse says Ramofoko demanded the money before the application could be processed.

“The victim explained that he did not have the money. He was allegedly told by the suspect that he would pay the demanded amount when he receives his first pension payout in February 2025,” Malwetse said in a statement.

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“Reports indicate that the first pension payout was deposited in the victim’s bank account in February 2025, and the suspect demanded the money. The pensioner complied and sent his daughter to go and withdraw R2 000 to pay the suspect, who became agitated when the amount she demanded was not paid in full,” added Malwetse.

The man and his daughter then made plans to pay the outstanding balance in the beginning of March.

Malwetse said one of the Rustenburg-based Hawks members heard about the 42-year-old’s underhanded dealings and immediately registered an enquiry on the matter for preliminary investigation.

The information was operationalised, which led to Ramafoko’s arrest soon after receiving the money from the pensioner.

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The matter was postponed to 5 May for further investigation.

Sassa fraudster sentenced

Meanwhile, a 67-year-old woman who fraudulently collected an older person’s grant from Sassa was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Sarathamoney Devi Sigamoney applied for an old age grant with Sassa, attaching a supporting affidavit wherein she stated that she has never worked for a period of 20 years while being the sole director of a company that made millions from police tenders.

She allegedly received grant money from Sassa amounting to approximately R123 000 from July 2017 to July 2022.

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