Pay point crime action

File picture: David Ritchie

File picture: David Ritchie

Published Jul 3, 2015

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Durban - The South African Social Security Agency says that after robberies at three social grant pay points this week, it has consulted all retailers to beef up security to prevent future attacks.

Sassa spokesman Paseka Letsatsi said the agency had also embarked on a media campaign to alert the public about crimes at pay points and how people could protect their information and money.

The recent robberies happened at KwaMbonambi on Tuesday night, and at Stanger and Clermont, near Pinetown, on Wednesday. There was also a robbery in Soshanguve, Pretoria, in which nine people were injured during a shoot-out.

At KwaMbonambi, there was a prolonged shoot-out between police and robbers who opened fire as they were trying to make their escape with R400 000 and 10 cartons of cigarettes.

There were no reports of arrests for the KZN incidents and there was only one minor injury in the Clermont robbery.

“Sassa has observed a worrying trend by robbers who attacked cash vans delivering money to social grant pay points.

“The agency sees these criminal acts as an attack on the government’s attempt to fight poverty and we assure our beneficiaries that law enforcement agencies will leave no stone unturned until they apprehend all these culprits,” said Letsatsi.

“We have managed to ensure that services are not disrupted and beneficiaries are not left in limbo. All beneficiaries in all affected areas were paid the money they are entitled to,” he said, adding that the agency had beefed up security.

Other than the violence, Letsatsi said, there was a scam doing the rounds in which criminals offered “new cards” to beneficiaries – mainly pensioners – intending to rob them of funds.

“Beneficiaries are reminded not to listen to anybody offering them new cards disguised as Sassa cards.

“The cards are only issued at Sassa offices and anyone who offers new cards in the street claiming to be an employee of Sassa should be ignored.”

The Mercury

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