Minister of Social Development Sisisi Tolashe announced that the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) has introduced facial biometrics to tackle identity theft detected in the roll-out of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant.
She said the vulnerabilities found in the application system were a result of advancing technology.
The department said these concerns were initially raised by two students from the University of Stellenbosch. The matter was then brought to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development.
Independent service provider
Tolashe subsequently appointed an independent service provider to conduct an investigation into the matter. And the report found that there were loopholes in the Sassa system on the roll-out of the SRD grant.
“We had to adopt a unique approach. And this was because potential applicants were not part of any existing government grant support programmes. Also, Covid-19 regulations restricted physical interactions,” said Tolashe.
The minister said they still tried to implement an online program and disburse the grants. The grant has reached 6 million clients in record time.
Tolashe said Sassa was currently receiving about 17 million client applications in the SRD grant alone each month.
She admitted that the system has been facing identity theft challenges. And the department does enhance systems, she said. She added that they have been working closely with law enforcement agencies to fight against fraud challenges in the system.
New facial biometrics system
New security measures have been introduced. These include facial biometrics through their electronic Know Your Client (Ekyc) programme.
She also acknowledged the role of auditors in strengthening Sassa’s systems. The audit report aligned with the findings of penetration tests and vulnerability scans, she said.
“The Sassa management is currently reviewing the report, which aligns with the findings of our penetration tests and vulnerability scans.
“We will meet with the auditors to discuss the report and provide a comprehensive response. Sassa will continue to support the auditors in completing their work,” said Tolashe.
With the challenges Sassa faces, she asserted that the agency aims to strike a balance between security, continuous improvement, and maintaining client accessibility and engagement.
