Dear Editor
A DA Parliamentary Question has revealed that suspended Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Commissioner, Teboho Maruping, is still sitting at home on full pay 14 months after his suspension, as his disciplinary hearing drags on. Given his yearly salary of R1.74 million, Maruping has now earned in excess of R2 million during the current suspension.
As soon as this case is resolved, the DA demands Minister Nomakhosazana Meth to reform the Department’s procedures in terms of its internal checks against corruption and ensuring that disciplinary cases happen fairly without relay.
Maruping is linked to an unlawful contracted entered into by the UIF to acquire 19% of Thuja Capital for R5bn, despite Thuja having no recorded premises, website or track record.
Maruping is also accused of threatening employees who warned against the deal with suspension. The deal was later set aside in court for having bulldozed through the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). Disciplinary proceedings began in November 2024 and still have not concluded, as Maruping deployed what appear to be various stalling tactics, including repeatedly changing legal representation and tabling medical certificates.
This is not Maruping’s first suspension, having sat at home for almost two years before, after being implicated in an irregular COVID-19 TERS Scheme contract. In all, this will mean Maruping has sat at home for a quarter of his tenure as Commissioner, and collected close to R4 million in that time.
This deep instability in the UIF has resulted in poor audit outcomes, in a time when our country urgently needs to reform onerous labour laws, so we can create jobs and grow our economy for all South Africans.
Regards
Michael Bagraim MP
DA Spokesperson on Employment & Labour