Victim narrative accounts of social grant fraud in Kgobokwane village, Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) provides social grants to millions of vulnerable and impoverished people. Social grants are the government's response to poverty, as unemployment and poverty have been at their highest levels since 2008. Research indicates that social grants are common, especially in rural areas of the Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces. This is because 60 per cent of households in the two provinces are poor, overcrowded, and therefore heavily reliant on social grants to survive. The study's delineation to Limpopo, South Africa, was thus motivated. A qualitative inquiry and phenomenological research design were used to explore social grant fraud in Kgobokwane village. Eight participants, who had experienced SASSA fraud, were interviewed. The findings revealed the most common type of SASSA fraud, the modus operandi involved in committing the fraud, the aftermath of the crime and the dire implications of victimisation. The paper seeks to assist disadvantaged communities, recipients of social grants, and policymakers in making informed decisions about social grant fraud.