Upington ‘mashonisa’ arrested over possession of Sassa cards
'The suspect is believed to be a loan shark who took Sassa cards from their owners,' said the Hawks.
Sassa cards. Picture: Rekord East
A 61-year-old mashonisa (loan shark) has been arrested for allegedly running a loan shark business.
This came after the Hawks received a tip-off about a suspect who was reportedly in possession of Upington community members’ identity documents, South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) cards and bank cards.
“The mashonisa was arrested on Friday morning, following a search and seizure operation at her house in Upington.
“Four Sassa cards, 12 bank cards, 15 identity documents and two Easy pay cards were confiscated,” said Northern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Nomthandazo Mnisi.
ALSO READ: Sick people queue outside SASSA offices as disability grants lapse
The investigation revealed that these credentials were kept unlawfully by the suspect to guarantee payments for illegally advanced loans, which is in contravention of the National Credit Act.
“The suspect is believed to be a loan shark who took Sassa cards from their owners,” said Mnisi.
The National Credit Regulator (NCR) has urged the public to start 2021 by spending and borrowing wisely, in a statement on Tuesday.
The NCR said some consumers are currently finding it difficult to meet their financial obligations such as school fees, school uniform, transport and rent, among others and should turn to reputable places to borrow money.
Mnisi said the suspect would appear in court next Monday.
READ MORE: Winde calls for Sassa grants ‘debacle’ to be defused
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
