A business owner from Ethiopia got caught trying to cheat South Africa’s welfare system. Etebo Lapso Wangore had to pay a big fine and lost his car. The court in Vryburg made him pay R60000 or spend 8 months in jail for corruption. He also got a one-year jail sentence that was suspended for 3 years for another corruption charge. The judge found him guilty of running a scam to steal from the social grant program.
Police found that Mr. Wangore was part of a group that stole money from South Africa’s social benefits system. He first came to South Africa looking for asylum & later opened small shops in the North West area. The group worked with some people inside SASSA to make fake accounts. They used these accounts to take money that was meant for real people who needed social grants. The case shows how criminals worked with staff members to steal from the government benefits program.
A person named Wangore went to the post office on November 15 2022. She talked to a worker there and tried to make an illegal deal. She offered 20,000 Rand to get 250 SASSA cards. She also said she would pay 1000 Rand more for each extra card. The post office worker did the right thing & told the police about this. The police then set up a trap to catch Wangore. They arrested her on February 23 2023 when she tried to go through with the deal.
The prosecutor Fhulufhelo Munyai spoke at the court hearing. He explained how bad these crimes were for South Africa. He said that stealing from social programs hurts poor people who really need help. This type of fraud also damages the country’s economy because money meant for those in need goes to criminals instead. The prosecutor wanted to show why these crimes deserve strict punishment.
The court gave Wangore a fine and suspended sentence. They also took away his right to own guns and seized his Toyota Hilux truck because he used it during his crimes. The state now owns the vehicle.
Dr. Rachel Makhari who leads public prosecutions in North West supported the court’s decision. She said this punishment should warn others not to cheat government systems for their own benefit.
She also mentioned that taking advantage of social support programs like SASSA hurts people who really need help. It also makes people trust government institutions less.
What repercussions did the Ethiopian businessman face in the SASSA fraud case?
He received a sentence and was ordered to repay funds.
