{
  "id": 9273564,
  "title": "Alleged queue-selling and bribery hit Home Affairs, SASSA and public clinics",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/alleged-queue-selling-and-bribery-hit-home-affairs-sassa-and-public",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-23T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/the-star/2026-09-23-alleged-queue-selling-and-bribery-hit-home-affairs-sassa-and-public-clinics/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Africans requiring healthcare, social grants, and identity documents are allegedly paying money to bypass lengthy queues, with reports of queue-selling and bribery surfacing at Home Affairs, SASSA offices, and public health facilities. This issue, highlighted by a three-year-old video, has resurfaced public concern over the practice. A woman in the video claims she was asked to pay R150 to have her document collected within minutes. Black Sash, a rights group, has received numerous allegations of bribery and queue-jumping at Home Affairs offices nationwide, particularly in Durban's Commercial Road and Umgeni Road branches, where staff and security personnel allegedly demanded R200 to R300 for faster service. Home Affairs acknowledged receiving complaints and stated they investigate allegations involving their officials, taking action when wrongdoing is confirmed. The resurfaced video, dated 2019, was investigated at the time and found the woman had been scammed by outsiders posing as Home Affairs agents. Since then, Home Affairs has dismissed 65 officials, arrested 36, and convicted nine for fraud and corruption. The problem also affects SASSA, with the CEO condemning the illegal sale of queue positions, leaving vulnerable people relying on social grants particularly vulnerable. SASSA vowed to take action against those involved, including officials who may have enabled the exploitation. Similar complaints emerge from Gauteng's public healthcare system, with patients alleging they pay officials to skip queues for appointments, access to medical records, and medication. The National Health spokesperson emphasized the department's support for provincial investigations into such allegations, stressing that long waiting times should not be used to extort money from patients.",
  "summary": "Reports of people paying to jump queues have emerged at Home Affairs, SASSA offices and public clinics, as long waits and appointment problems leave vulnerable South Africans exposed to alleged bribery.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": "The persistence of alleged queue-selling and bribery at Home Affairs, SASSA, and public clinics undermines access to essential services for vulnerable South Africans, who are often forced to pay for faster service.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}