A 58-year-old Eastern Cape woman appeared in court after allegedly lying that the mother of two children had died and their father could not be found so she could claim more than R300,000 in foster care grants.
Nokwakha Bana was arrested by members of the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) unit in Mthatha on August 5 after the execution of a warrant of arrest.
She appeared before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday.
She is facing charges of fraud, uttering and contravening the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act.
Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said the case stems from a complaint lodged by SASSA after irregularities were detected in foster care grant payments administered through its Qumbu local office.
“During the period between November 2018 and February 2026, the accused allegedly executed a calculated and systematic scheme designed to unlawfully enrich herself through the fraudulent acquisition of foster care grants intended to safeguard the welfare of vulnerable children.”
Mhlakuvana said Bana allegedly submitted false affidavits and materially misleading information to SASSA and the Department of Justice.
“It is further alleged that she falsely declared that the biological mother of two minor children was deceased and that the children’s biological father could not be traced.”
According to Mhlakuvana, the alleged misrepresentations were deliberately premeditated to induce SASSA into approving foster care grant applications to which she was not legally entitled.
He said investigations conducted by the Hawks disproved every material representation on which the applications had been approved.
“Further investigation established that the children’s biological father had always been known by the accused, remained actively involved in their upbringing, and consistently fulfilled his parental obligations by providing support.”
Mhlakuvana said SASSA suffered actual financial prejudice of more than R300,000 as a result of the alleged fraud.
Meanwhile, Bana was granted R1,000 bail.
The case was postponed to August 18 for disclosure of the docket’s contents.
