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A 41-year-old man from the Eastern Cape has been sentenced to six months of direct imprisonment after pleading guilty to charges of fraudulently attempting to claim a social grant using falsified medical records.
According to a media statement issued by SASSA on Friday, Anele Gxumeka appeared before the Mthatha Magistrate Court on May 8, 2025, following an investigation that revealed glaring inconsistencies in documents he submitted during a medical assessment at the SASSA Lusikisiki Local Office on February 9, 2023.
The discrepancies included mismatched gender and age details between his identity document and the accompanying medical certificate. Further inquiries by SASSA and the attending doctor exposed that Gxumeka had falsely claimed to have been examined at Holy Cross Hospital — a claim denied by the hospital’s CEO.
The matter was referred by SASSA’s Risk and Compliance Unit to the South African Police Services (SAPS), resulting in Gxumeka’s arrest and subsequent prosecution.
SASSA Eastern Cape Regional Executive Manager Bandile Maqetuka praised front-line staff for spotting the irregularities early, noting that “most fraudulent activities are only discovered after significant financial losses,” and confirmed that no financial loss occurred in this case.
“This may seem like a minor fraudulent case, but the sentence sends a strong message that fraud will not be tolerated at SASSA,” Maqetuka emphasized.
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