BAIL HEARING IN SASSA FRAUD CASE POSTPONED
The Lenasia Magistrates’ Court has postponed the bail application hearing in the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) fraud case to 10 and 11 June 2025. The postponement is to allow the court to hear additional evidence that it has to consider in making a decision on the applications submitted by the eleven accused individuals.
Shumani Khwerana and 10 co-accused are facing multiple charges, including Cybercrime, Fraud and Theft. The state alleges that the accused are alleged to have orchestrated a sophisticated scheme involving the creation of fake SASSA profiles wherein over R4 million was allegedly deposited and these profiles were allegedly used to withdraw large sums of money from various SASSA pay points.
During the hearing, the state submitted affidavits from the Investigating Officer, Constable Manana and two affidavits from Mazimela Kubeka, a Senior Internal Investigator within SASSA with information on how the accused were implicated in the alleged offences. The court has requested additional supporting evidence from the state including a movement report from the Department of Home Affairs detailing Abenezer Tilahyn’s, the fourth accused and movements in and out of South Africa. The court also requires information about two dockets mentioned in Constable Manana’s affidavit, which allegedly links some of the accused. This evidence will inform the court’s decision.
