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Several of the Sassa grant fraud accused presented their bail affidavits to the court.
Five Sassa employees appear at the Lenasia Magistrate's Court, south of Johannesburg, 17 March 2025, for fraud. Picture : Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen
Defence attorneys representing former South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) employees accused of fraud alleged potential witness interference during Tuesday’s bail hearing, claiming a Sassa official had visited their clients in prison to ask them to sign documents.
The allegation came as the bail application for eight former Sassa employees continued at the Lenasia High Court, with proceedings rolled over to Wednesday.
The defendants appeared alongside three co-accused, who are not employed by the agency. All are allegedly linked to more than R260 million stolen through fraudulent Sassa cards.
The suspects are accused of creating fraudulent profiles and committing identity theft to siphon money from Sassa pay points.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said over 1 300 more charges were added against the suspects.
Sassa confirmed through a statement on Monday that eight of their officials would appear in court on Tuesday morning.
“They will appear along with their three alleged accomplices who are not employed by Sassa for the bail hearing in a case that has drawn public outcry. The first arrests of the 11 accused were made in February and others were arrested in March, while others handed themselves over to the police.”
The fraud case stems from the discovery of 200 contaminated beneficiary files in the Johannesburg region.
The first four suspects were arrested in February during a crackdown in Soweto. They included two females and one Ethiopian national.
The group was caught using fraudulent Sassa cards to withdraw money at a Shoprite store. They had 139 Sassa cards in their possession.
The other three Sassa grant administrators were arrested on 14 March in a morning raid on the agency’s offices in the Johannesburg CBD.
ALSO READ: Sassa grant officials nabbed in Joburg CBD raid, others evade arrest because ‘they are on leave’
One suspect was arrested at her residence in Soweto, while another suspect surrendered to the police in March.
The employees, Phumzile Dlamini, Paul Bones, Phumelele Myeza, Keamogetswe Ledwaba and Phiwe Mkhuzangwe, appeared in the Lenasia Magistrate’s Court on 17 March on 52 charges.
Law enforcement responded to a Soweto store after receiving reports that Khwerana and Maluleke were allegedly making large cash withdrawals using Sassa cards.
The subsequent investigation led to the apprehension of additional suspects.
An eleventh suspect joined the proceedings last week after surrendering to authorities, following earlier claims by the state that she had been evading arrest.
ALSO READ: ‘Hundreds of charges’: Sassa fraud case is bigger than you think
During Tuesday’s court proceedings at the Lenasia High Court, the attorney for the eleventh accused began by questioning the state on matters of jurisdiction and clarity on the schedule of offences.
The defendants are charged with Schedule 5 offences, which carry heavier legal implications for their bail application.
According to Newzroom Afrika, the defence raised concerns about jurisdiction, questioning why the case was being heard in Lenasia when the alleged crimes occurred at Sassa offices in Johannesburg.
They also alleged potential witness interference, claiming a Sassa official had visited their clients in prison to request signatures on documents.
“The defence asks if the state is aware that some of their witnesses are interfering with the accused. They say a Sassa official visited their clients in prison yesterday to ask them to sign documents,” the defence counsel told the court.
In response, state prosecutors explained that the case originated in Soweto, which falls under the Lenasia court’s jurisdiction.
Regarding the schedule classification, they argued that the charges qualified as Schedule 5 offences since they exceeded the R100 000 threshold.
Newzroom Afrika further reported that the prosecutor clarified that even without considering their alleged operation as a syndicate, the charges still surpass R500 000 in funds belonging to Sassa.
Meanwhile, the state dismissed allegations of witness interference, stating that the prison visit by Sassa officials was related to internal disciplinary processes rather than the criminal case.
ALSO READ: Defrauded Sassa grant recipients to be refunded
With the matter proceeding as a Schedule 5 bail application, the defendants were required to demonstrate that their release on bail would serve the interests of justice.
Several of the accused presented their bail affidavits to the court.
Shumani Khwerana stated she had no previous convictions or pending cases, posed no flight risk, intended to plead not guilty, and would not interfere with witnesses. She offered R2 000 for bail.
Nkhensani Maluleke made similar declarations, also offering R2 000 for bail.
Tshilidzi Ramaphosa, who lives in Chiawelo and earns R19 000 as a Sassa employee, told the court he “does not constitute a flight risk or will evade trial” and “intends to plead not guilty”.
Ramaphosa also offered R2 000 for bail.
Meanwhile, Abenezer Telahyn, an Ethiopian national studying theology in South Africa on a student visa, informed the court that he is engaged to a South African woman who is six months pregnant.
He earns a living by “buying and fixing damaged vehicles” and denied any capability of creating Sassa profiles. His affidavit stated that he “intends to vigorously challenge his unlawful arrest”.
Siphesihle Dlamini, another accused, told the court she is currently pursuing an MBA sponsored by Sassa and denied all charges.
“I am currently employed by the South African Social Security Agency as a grant administrator, which employment commenced in October 2019. My gross salary is plus minus R18 300,” her affidavit stated.
Phiwe Mkhuzwane, also a Sassa employee, emphasised that her mother is a cancer patient who depends on her.
She maintained her innocence and noted that despite being informed by colleagues that police were looking for her, she did not attempt to flee.
She assured the court she has no intention to evade trial and poses no danger to the public.
The bail hearing is scheduled to continue on Wednesday.
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