South African fraudsters pose as freedom fighters for pensions

South African fraudsters have created fake life stories to apply for special state pensions offered to anti-Apartheid campaigners.

Kabelo Jonathan, senior manager of special pensions in the South African Treasury, told the finance committee 141 fake applications for the pensions had been mistakenly approved.

The government offers special pensions to people who fought against the Apartheid regime, South African newspaper The Times reports.

However, fraudulent applications have sparked an investigation into the pensions, with 141 cases already before the courts and 18 new cases under scrutiny.

Two special pensions department employees have been dismissed and another suspended following fraud accusations.

The fraud is estimated to have run into millions of rands, whilst the entire budget for the special pensions is between R200m and R300m.

Two workers in the special pensions department had been dismissed for fraud.

The Apartheid system of legal racial segregation was enforced in South Africa by the National Party between 1948 and 1994.