UIF to co-operate with authorities on alleged corruption

Unemployment Insurance Fund commissioner Teboho Maruping. The UIF said it will provide necessary assistance to the law enforcement agencies in the course of their investigation into alleged corruption at the fund.
Unemployment Insurance Fund commissioner Teboho Maruping. The UIF said it will provide necessary assistance to the law enforcement agencies in the course of their investigation into alleged corruption at the fund.
Image: Supplied

The Unemployment Insurance Fund says it will co-operate with law enforcement agencies on investigations into alleged corruption related to its labour activation programme. 

The UIF said a Sunday World report referred to a Hawks and Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigation into allegations of corruption related to its programme to ensure that unemployed UIF beneficiaries are reintegrated into the labour market. 

“The UIF has not received official correspondence from the law enforcement agencies pertaining to the said investigation but will co-operate fully if requested to do so. 

“As an organisation that respects the rule of law, and which observes good governance principles and practices, the fund will provide necessary assistance to the law enforcement agencies in the course of their investigation,” UIF said in a statement.

The Sunday World reported employment and labour minister Thulas Nxesi has been fingered as a person of interest for the Hawks and SIU after an investigation into fresh allegations of corruption involving about R3bn. 

It said a senior government official, who has turned whistle-blower, drafted an affidavit implicating Nxesi and his former director-general, Thobile Lamati, as the masterminds behind the scheme to irregularly pump millions of the labour activation programme funds to companies without following due process.

The official alleged Nxesi would give directives to Lamati, who then passed the unlawful instructions to UIF commissioner Teboho Maruping. It said Maruping would ensure the execution of the instructions.

“We will await the outcome of the investigation before commenting further on this matter. To this end we request space and time to aid the law enforcement agencies in their work,” the UIF said. 

It urged anyone with information that can assist the investigation process, to contact the relevant law enforcement agencies directly. 

TimesLIVE 

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