Trial set for woman receiving Sassa pension while her company won R60m SAPS tender

A trial date has been set for a 70-year-old woman who applied for the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) while her company raked over R60 million from the South African Police Service (SAPS) tender.

Salamina Khoza is facing charges of Contravention of the Social Assistance Act, Contravention of the Justice of Peace and Commissioners Oaths Act, as well as fraud and theft.

Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, said the charges relate to an amount of R152,000 which she received from Sassa as pension payout.

Mamothame said when Khoza received the funds while simultaneously serving as a director for three companies awarded contracts worth over R60 million from SAPS between September 2014 and August 2022.

He added that her companies were also subjected to criminal proceedings in various courts.

Her trial will begin on July 22, 2025, in the Pretoria North Regional Court.

Meanwhile, the case against 69-year-old Devi Sigamoney was postponed to March 20, 2025, for arguments after she filed an application to appeal her 10-year sentence.

Mamothame said Sigamoney's new legal representative requested for a postponement in order to study all the court transcripts.

The sentence comes after she was found guilty of defrauding Sassa at least R135, 000 while she was also a director of a company that received contracts valued at about R88 million from the SAPS.

Explaining events leading up to Sigamoney’s arrest, Mamothame said on April 13, 2017, Sigamoney applied for an old age grant with Sassa.

“She attached a supporting affidavit wherein she stated that she has never worked for a period of 20 years.”

On 18 April, 2017, Sassa provided Sigamoney with a letter of approval, which she signed for as received.

“She is alleged to have received grant money from Sassa amounting to approximately R123,000 from July 2017 to July 2022.”

The IDAC said subsequent to charges being registered against her, Sigamoney continued to receive the grant for a further 16 months.

She was ordered to pay back the money with interest at a prescribed rate of 11.25% per annum.

Sigamoney was also ordered to provide proof of payment to the state.