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A 67-year-old woman who fraudulently collected an older person’s grant from South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) while being the sole director of a company that made millions from police tenders has been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Sarathamoney Devi Sigamoney appeared in the Pretoria North Regional Court on Tuesday, where the sentence was handed down.
Magistrate Pieter Nel sentenced Sigamoney to two years’ imprisonment for perjury, five years for each of the two counts of fraud, three years for theft, and five years for contravening the Social Assistance Act by making misrepresentations to get the grant from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA).
Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) Henry Mamothame said the court ordered that some of the sentences be served concurrently, leading to an effective 10-year jail term.
“She has applied for leave to appeal, and the court postponed the matter to 12 March 2025 for arguments.”
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In his sentencing, Nel highlighted the need to convey a strong message to potential perpetrators on the seriousness of such offences.
The court previously granted the Asset Forfeiture Unit a confiscation order against Sigamoney, stipulating that an amount of R138 593 with interest calculated at 11.25% per annum, calculated from the date of this order, be paid back to SASSA.
During sentencing proceedings, prosecutor advocate Tilas Chabalala said this amount had still not been paid.
On 13 April 2017, 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.
The next day, SASSA provided Sigamoney with a letter of approval, which she signed for as received.
Mamothame said Sigamoney is alleged to have received grant money from SASSA amounting to approximately R123 000 from July 2017 to July 2022.
“Subsequent to charges being registered against her, she continued to receive the grant for a further 16 months.”
Mamothama said that although Sigamoney is listed as the director of KJP Traders Pty and Matthew Pillay (her son), KJP is alleged to have conducted business with the state as early as 2012, preceding her application to SASSA.
He said the company is estimated to have cashed in approximately R88 million from the SAPS contracts, the last payment being in 2022.
In October 2024, the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court found Sigamoney guilty of one count of perjury for the affidavit she made, two counts of fraud, one count of theft, and one count of contravening the Social Assistance Act, The Citizen reported at the time.
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