A SASSA grant administrator, Boipelo Eugenia Ramafoko, 42, was arrested on Thursday, March 6, 2025, by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team on charges of corruption. The arrest follows an incident in December 2024, when a 63-year-old pensioner went to the SASSA office in Mogwase to apply for his old age pension grant.
Ramafoko allegedly demanded R3000 in exchange for processing the application, with the pensioner agreeing to pay the amount from his first pension payout in February 2025.
Reports indicate that the first pension payout was deposited in the victim’s bank account in February 2025, and the suspect demanded the money.
The pensioner complied and sent his daughter to go and withdraw R2000, 00 to pay the suspect who became agitated when the amount she demanded was not paid in full.
The victim and his daughter made further arrangements to pay the outstanding amount in the beginning of March 2025.
The Hawks were alerted to the case and launched an investigation, leading to Ramafoko’s arrest after she received the balance from the victim.
She appeared in the Mogwase Magistrates’ Court on Friday, March 7, 2025, facing charges of corruption. Ramafoko was granted bail of R1500, and the case has been postponed to May 5, 2025, for further investigation.
