Fire the Nine Senior UIF Officials That Looted From COVID-19 Ters Benefit

Dear Editor

The DA calls on Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth to immediately fire nine senior officials of the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) who have been found by the SIU to have awarded an over R6 million tender without a competitive process, as required by law.

The SIU investigation into these nine senior officials of the UIF, regarding the more than R6m tender for radio adverts of the COVID-19 TERS benefit, found that they bypassed public procurement procedures in appointing a service provider for the radio advert campaign, and went to choose five media houses for the sole mandate of a single tender.

The DA calls for the nine to be fired because they have only been given slaps on the wrist for this scandalous breach of the law, including UIF Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, and CFO, Fezeka Puzi, who were suspended while under investigation and given written warnings.

Now is the time for serious accountability for the serious abuses and crimes which took place during the COVID pandemic, including the flouting of tender regulations and laws and the looting of relief funds. Just yesterday the DA handed over 6 000 State employees for a Public Service Commission investigation after they looted the TERS scheme by fraudulently claiming TERS benefits during the pandemic, while employed by the State.

It should be an honour to serve our country in any capacity, and these individuals ought to hang their heads in shame.

Regards

Michael Bagraim MP
DA Spokesperson on Employment & Labour