News24 reports that a SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) official in Mpumalanga has appeared in court for allegedly lying about her qualifications and in turn pocketing a salary of around R4 million over 14 years.

Alina Selepe was released on R3,000 bail by the Mbombela Magistrate's Court on Monday. She was arrested by members of the Hawks' Serious Corruption Investigation unit in Volksrust on Friday. "It is alleged that in 2006 there was an advertised post for an administration team leader in the department of Sassa. In applying for the said position, the suspect submitted a fraudulent matric certificate... [A matric certificate] was one of the requirements for that job. As a result, the suspect was employed and appointed as an administration team leader at Sassa," Hawks spokesperson Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi explained. The alleged fraud was discovered during a vetting process in which qualifications were verified by the Department of Education. The matter was reported to the Hawks in in December 2020. The case was postponed to 26 March.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nicole McCain at News24

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