Debt collectors are looking for about 11,000 individuals in KwaZulu-Natal who have been identified as having defrauded the South African Social Security Services Agency (Sassa) of millions of rands.

KZN Sassa has uncovered that these individuals submitted fraudulent documents to obtain social grants,which are supposed to provide much-needed financial assistance to vulnerable citizens.

Sandy Godlwana, the spokesperson for KZN Sassa, announced that the agency has enlisted the services of four debt collectors to recover the misappropriated funds.

The appointed debt collectors are Ncube Incorporated Attorneys, Kumyolz Investments, Credit Intelligence, and Markalio Revenue.

Nationwide, there are approximately 38,000 individuals who owe money to Sassa, with the total amount owed estimated to be over R544 million.

In some cases, "some people were found to have no source of income and they don't work or are employed. We, therefore, decided to write off R275 million of their debt," said Godlwana.

Social grants, particularly old age and child support grants, have become frequent targets of fraudulent activities, often by individuals in townships and rural areas seeking easy income.

A concerning trend has emerged where families of deceased social grant beneficiaries conceal the death of the individual to continue receiving funds on their behalf.

Inkosi Nqayizivele Sithole, the deputy chairperson for the KZN House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders, shared a disconcerting incident from uThukela, where a family member sought permission to bury a child.

"In my area of uThukela, we are still facing a legal crisis after one family member requested permission to bury a child. Later it was found that the child died and was buried two years ago.

"Then the family came to us recently as if the child is yet to be buried. We later found that they buried a dog to get away from Sassa inspectors who were checking with each and every family the existence of social grants beneficiaries," said Sithole.