Beware of disinformation, warns Sassa amid surge in fake grant news
These have included a fake Facebook account which shares inaccurate updates and misinformation about social grants.
In a media statement, the agency cautioned its beneficiaries to be careful of fake news on grants.
Sassa national spokesperson Paseka Letsatsi said the mushrooming and rapid spread of fake news and disinformation, which has targeted the agency almost daily, is a concern.
'Sassa deals with and has to correct disinformation created by some faceless people whose intentions are to mislead, cause panic and create false hope amongst Sassa beneficiaries and the public at large,' said Letsatsi.
These fake news reports include false announcements of the double payment of grants, which Letsatsi said are untrue.
Also read: WARNING: Woman fraudster impersonating a police officer
'In line with the Ministry of Finance's Policy Statement in March, grant increases were announced and came into effect in April, and there will be another increase again in October. Any other increase not announced by credible and relevant authorities should be treated as lies,' said Letsatsi.
Letsatsi also clarified that on April 30, Sassa announced a verification process only for targeted grant beneficiaries, to encourage them to update their information at Sassa offices.
'The targeted beneficiaries were those who use alternative forms of identification other than the standard 13-digit South African identity number to receive their social grants. The other beneficiaries that are targeted include those identified through the bulk means test process, to check if they have some income that flows into other bank accounts that they did not disclose to Sassa.
'We appeal to our beneficiaries to only rely on credible sources of information on our official social media pages. Before anyone can share any information pertaining to social grants, they must first verify its authenticity to avoid disseminating false information that may cause anxiety and stress to our beneficiaries,' said Letsatsi.
These are the agency's official social media pages:
On Facebook it is SASSA NEWS
On X (formerly Twitter) it is @OfficialSASSA
On TikTok it is @officialsassanews
On WhatsApp it is SASSA_Official
On YouTube it is South African Social Security Agency
On Instagram it is sassa10_za
'Social grants are the livelihood of more than 19 million Sassa beneficiaries. When people create and disseminate false information, it creates untold panic and stress to the millions of our vulnerable beneficiaries. Therefore, we appeal to all South Africans to stop these acts and our beneficiaries to be vigilant and cautious with the information they consume. If you are in doubt please call the toll free number 0800 60 10 11, email [email protected] or engage us on our social media pages,' said Letsatsi.
For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.
Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
23 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Inmate dead, 4 officials injured in incident at Oudtshoorn Correctional Centre
Correctional Services national commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale has expressed concern over an incident at Oudtshoorn Medium A Correctional Centre that left one inmate dead and several officials injured. SA News reports that according to the department, the incident occurred yesterday during a routine search operation on inmates housed in room 005 of A-Section, where the offenders initially refused to comply. 'With the necessary intervention, officials were able to gain access and continue with the search. Tensions rose as some offenders resisted being searched, but officials managed to stabilise the situation and complete the operation. Several contraband items, including cellphones and narcotics, were confiscated. 'In a clear act of retaliation [yesterday], offenders from room 005 launched a premeditated and violent assault on officials during unlock procedures. At the time, a total of 18 officials were on duty. Four of them sustained injuries, including stab wounds to the face, head, and back. 'One offender involved in the altercation sustained injuries and, despite receiving medical attention, sadly passed away. This loss of life is unfortunate and will be subject to further investigation in line with departmental procedures,' the department said. Thobakgale reaffirmed the department's commitment to safety within correctional facilities. 'The safety of officials and inmates remains our foremost priority. Incidents of this nature are deeply concerning, and we are committed to thoroughly investigating all contributing factors,' Thobakgale said. The department assured that the situation at the centre is currently under control. 'Offenders implicated in the stabbings have been placed in single cells pending disciplinary action. A-Unit has been re-searched, resulting in the confiscation of additional weapons. 'All offender activities and visits have been suspended until further notice. The Department of Correctional Services remains committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the officials and inmates, whilst maintaining order across all its correctional facilities,' the department said. Oudtshoorn Courant meanwhile reports that according to reliable sources contacted by the newspaper, the attack may be related to gang activity. This information could, however, not be officially confirmed. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
Understanding the COFI Bill: essential insights for financial institutions
Discover the key implications of the Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill (COFI) for South African financial institutions. This article outlines essential preparations and strategic opportunities for compliance and governance in the evolving regulatory landscape. Image: File photo. Once enacted, the much-anticipated Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill (COFI) will introduce a significant shift in the legislative and regulatory landscape of South Africa's financial services sector, according to Webber Wentzel Financial Regulatory Practice Group. The group says the Bill forms a key component of the country's Twin Peaks regulatory reform and will primarily focus on strengthening market conduct regulation across the entire financial services sector. COFI will, amongst others, consolidate and replace various industry-specific conduct laws, such as the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 2002; the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act, 2002; the Short-term Insurance Act, 1998; the Long-term Insurance Act, 1998; the Credit Rating Services Act, 2012; the Financial Institutions (Protection of Funds) Act, 2001; and the Friendly Societies Act, 1956, the group says. "It will also effect extensive amendments to the Pension Funds Act, 1956;; the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 2017; the Banks Act, 1990; the Labour Relations Act, 1995; the Insurance Act, 2017; the Income Tax Act, 1962; the Financial Markets Act, 2012; the Medical Schemes Act, 1998; the Transnet Pension Funds Act, 1990; the Co-operative Act, 2005; and the Government Employees Pension Funds Law, Proclamation, 1996. It further scopes within its ambit certain activities under the National Payments Systems Act, 1998, and the National Credit Act, 2005," it says. The group says COFI readiness is essential. "Following two rounds of public commentary, COFI is expected to be introduced in Cabinet towards the end of 2025 and tabled in Parliament either later this year or in the first quarter of 2026. Its promulgation is anticipated in 2026, with a transitional period of approximately three years to follow," it says. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) Commissioner has emphasised that readiness for COFI is an industry-wide responsibility, not solely the FSCA's. Financial institutions must proactively align their business models, governance frameworks, and compliance strategies with COFI's principles and expectations. Early preparation will ensure agility and competitiveness once the new regime takes effect, the group says., Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ According to the group, COFI will introduce a range of practical obligations that institutions should begin planning for now, which include the following: Financial institutions should monitor and participate in the formal consultation processes that may follow once COFI is introduced to Parliament. Financial institutions are advised to begin mapping their current activities to prepare for the activity-based licensing model and to develop compliance frameworks aligned with this approach. Principles from the Retail Distribution Review will also need to be considered to ensure readiness for implementation. Governance structures may need to be revised , or developed from scratch, and institutions must ensure that key persons meet , and continue to meet , the fit and proper requirements. Fair customer treatment practices must be strengthened in line with the Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles. Financial resources across the financial institution should also be reviewed to ensure that they remain adequate. Financial institutions must evaluate their operational capabilities to ensure they are ready to meet COFI's demands. Reporting frameworks may need to be updated, while transformation policies and related structures should be developed or enhanced. Automated/technology-driven systems and processes should also be reviewed to confirm that they remain fit for purpose under the new regulatory expectations. The above should be considered in light of the broader range of financial products and services and activities that will be affected by COFI. COFI will apply broadly to all financial institutions as defined in the Financial Sector Regulation Act, 2017 (FSR Act). This includes financial product providers, financial service providers, the holding companies of financial conglomerates, and any person licensed or required to be licensed in terms of a financial sector law, the group says. A financial product provider is any person who, as a business or part of a business, provides a financial product. "Under the FSR Act, 'financial product' will include: participatory interests in collective investment schemes and alternative investment funds; non-retail lending; life and non-life insurance policies; retirement funds and friendly society benefits; deposits under the Banks Act; health service benefits provided by medical schemes; credit under the National Credit Act; warranties, guarantees or other credit support arrangements; and any other facilities or arrangements designated by regulation. "A financial service provider is any person who, as a business or part of a business, provides a financial service. This includes providing financial products, distribution, financial advice, investment management, administration, custodian services, crypto asset custodial services, payment services, debt collection, financial market activities, benchmarks, credit rating services, third-party treasury management, and corporate advisory services," Webber Wentzel Financial Regulatory Practice Group says. Any financial institution providing one or more of these financial products or financial services will be required to comply with COFI. Institutions offering these financial products and financial services will need to be licensed under COFI and meet ongoing obligations, including: ensuring that key persons and representatives satisfy the fit and proper requirements; maintaining sound corporate governance standards; implementing appropriate remuneration and conflict of interest policies; and having a transformation policy in place. Financial institutions must maintain adequate financial resources and operational capabilities at all times and meet all reporting, record-keeping, and audit requirements under COFI. To prepare for the relicensing, financial institutions should map all activities, services, and products against the new requirements to determine the correct licensing approach, the group says. "While the new regulatory framework will require significant preparation, it presents a strategic opportunity for financial institutions to build trust, improve governance, and position themselves for long-term resilience and growth. Proactive planning and early action will be key," the group says. Meanwhile, Old Mutual Personal Finance (OMPF), a provider of financial advice and investment solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Old Mutual Group, has declared its full support for the Bill, describing it as a progressive and much-needed step toward a more ethical, inclusive, and accountable financial sector.
IOL News
an hour ago
- IOL News
US Message Is Step Out Of Line Or Pay The Price
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) greets visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa (C) at the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States, on May 21, 2025. U.S. President Donald Trump confronted visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday with conspiracy theories on "white genocide" in South Africa, which Ramaphosa firmly denied. Image: Xinhua South African exports to the United States have been slapped with a 30% tariff. A blow, yes, but not a surprise. These tariffs don't exist in a vacuum. They are the latest move in a pattern of increasing diplomatic pressure from the United States, and they arrive on the back of months of thinly veiled threats to review South Africa's eligibility under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The politicisation of AGOA and the new tariffs, raises serious questions about the conditionality of so-called development partnerships and global trade. Is economic cooperation only valid when African states remain silent and compliant on global political issues? Government estimates more than 100,000 jobs could be lost across key sectors like agriculture, textiles and autos, at a time when unemployment is already hovering above 32%. Entire communities stand to lose income, security and dignity, but what's equally staggering is how little South Africa actually exports to the U.S. We make up just 0.25% of all U.S. imports, less than a rounding error in Washington's trade book. Our exports don't compete with American industries, they complement them. Our fruit, for instance, is counter-seasonal, plugging supply gaps in the U.S. market rather than replacing local produce. In fact, our trade supports U.S. industry. So what, exactly, is being punished? The answer, of course, has little to do with economics and everything to do with power. This is not about trade. It's about sending a message. And that message has been loud, blunt, and unmistakable – step out of line, and pay the price. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ From Rhetoric to Retaliation The U.S. administration's growing discomfort with South Africa's independent foreign policy, especially its stance on global conflicts and growing ties with BRICS partners—has clearly influenced this economic escalation. Washington's displeasure has shifted from diplomatic rhetoric to economic punishment. Threatening to revoke AGOA benefits, in tandem with the new tariffs, sends a powerful signal that dissent from Global South nations will be met with financial consequences. To compound the blow, Danish shipping giant Maersk has announced it will halt direct cargo shipments between South Africa and the U.S., effective October 1. While the company has cited global operational restructuring as the reason, the timing could not be more telling. The withdrawal forces South African exporters to reroute goods via European ports, increasing costs, delays, and administrative burdens. It effectively builds yet another barrier between South African goods and the U.S. market, making AGOA benefits, should they even survive this political fallout—more expensive and harder to access. Breaking the Myth of 'Rules-Based' Trade What we are witnessing is not mere coincidence. The tariff imposition, AGOA expiring next month, and Maersk's rerouting form a cumulative pattern of economic pressure. It is no longer just about trade; it's about submission. The U.S. is signalling that if South Africa won't play the geopolitical game by Washington's rules, then its economy will be made to suffer. This is a dangerous precedent, not just for South Africa, but for all emerging economies that dare to exercise political independence. When trade becomes a tool of coercion rather than cooperation, the very premise of multilateralism begins to collapse. For those of us watching the steady unraveling of what was once called the rules-based international order, this feels like the logical next step in a long, cynical game. Perhaps, it's the nudge we've needed to finally stop begging for a seat at someone else's table and start building our own. It's no coincidence that these tariffs come in the same year South Africa took Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for genocide, criticised MAGA politics, and continued to deepen ties within BRICS. What we are witnessing is the punishment of a middle power that dared to act like it had agency. The U.S. doesn't like being questioned, least of all by African democracies who refuse to toe the line. So when Pretoria tried to stave off the tariffs by offering to import U.S. gas, buy American crops, and invest in U.S.-linked recycling infrastructure, Washington wasn't interested. Retaliation was the point. Choosing Ourselves in a Multipolar World The irony though is that by turning up the pressure, the U.S. may have inadvertently done us a favour. For too long, South Africa and many in the Global South, have built trade strategies on the assumption that Western markets are stable, rational, and rules-based. That if we behaved, played nice, opened our markets, and said the right things in multilateral meetings, we'd be rewarded with access. That myth is now shattered, and it should be, because access isn't guaranteed. Rules are arbitrary, and partnership, at least under Trump's doctrine, is contingent on silence and compliance. So where do we go from here? President Ramaphosa's promise to support exporters and expand trade ties with Africa, Asia and the Middle East is more than damage control, it's a signal of something bigger. A chance to rebuild South Africa's trade identity on our own terms, not as a junior partner to the West, but as a central node in an emerging multipolar economy. We're not starting from scratch. BRICS, once dismissed as a diplomatic photo-op, is fast becoming a platform for alternative cooperation. At last year's summit in Kazan, countries like India, Brazil and South Africa called not just for new development banks and infrastructure funds, but for serious structural alternatives to a dollar-dominated world. At the same time, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) holds the promise of turning our fragmented markets into a $3.4 trillion single economy. Asian demand for African raw materials, manufacturing capacity, and fintech innovation is accelerating. The pieces of a new trade reality are already on the table. The challenge? Putting them together. Yes, it will be hard, but it will be ours. Let's not romanticise this shift. South–South trade is still fraught. Logistics are weak, infrastructure is uneven, and trust among governments is not always consistent. We face years of hard work, standardising policies, improving ports, digitising customs, and building the kind of supply chains that aren't just extractive, but transformative. If there's one thing this moment has made clear, it's that dependence is a liability, and the only true resilience lies in integration, production, and self-determination. I often think about how the Global South is described. Lacking capital. Lacking infrastructure. Lacking voice. But what if we stopped focusing on what we lack and started recognising what we are? A collection of nations with the resources, labour, culture, and leverage to rewire the global economy. A bloc that doesn't just have raw materials, but the power to set new rules, if we work together to do so. This isn't just about the U.S. punishing South Africa. It's about us realising that we no longer need to wait for validation from somewhere else. What Trump may not realise is that in trying to isolate us, he may have finally given us permission to choose ourselves. And I'm hoping this time, we will. By Chloe Maluleke Associate at The BRICS+ Consulting Group Russian & Middle Eastern Specialist * MORE ARTICLES ON OUR WEBSITE ** Follow @brics_daily on X/Twitter & @brics_daily on Instagram for daily BRICS+ updates
