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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 45052, member: 636"] South Africa's Treasury Department threatens to cut money from the country's grant agency if officials fail to meet strict new rules. SASSA leaders told Parliament members on Wednesday they already started checking grant recipients more carefully. The agency must send reports every three months about how many grants they reviewed or stopped. Officials also need to make their computer systems better at catching fraud. Agency workers will check bank accounts and compare information with other government departments. Nearly half of all South Africans depend on government grants to survive each month. The social development department received 285 billion rand for grants next year but expects less money later. Many grant recipients face problems when SASSA asks them to visit offices for face-to-face meetings. Some people live far from offices and cannot afford travel costs to prove they still qualify for help. Rural families struggle most because they have fewer nearby SASSA locations. Parliament members complained about the new verification process hurting poor families. Committee leader Bridget Masango said she receives many messages from people having trouble getting their grants. Another member criticized how the changes affect elderly caregivers who cannot travel to distant offices. SASSA's head promised to keep Parliament updated about their progress checking grants. The agency plans to install self-service machines at some locations to help people update their information. Computer experts want to make fingerprint scanning required for everyone applying for grants. Officials hope these changes will stop fraudulent claims and save taxpayer money. [/QUOTE]

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