Prisoners, deceased people are some of those alleged to have applied for COVID-19 relief scheme: SIU

Prisoners and deceased people are some of those alleged to have applied for the government Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) meant for workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) findings on allegations related to the TERS payment.  

The SIU told parliament that even the members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) had applied for the relief scheme even though they do not qualify for it.

So far, the TERS scheme has provided more than R60 billion to tens of thousands of employers for the disbursement of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.  

SIU Senior investigator Johnny le Roux says, “Government employees with pearls numbers claiming from the fund. SANDF staff claiming from the fund. Inmates claiming from the fund. And the deceased ID numbers being used in claims from the fund. So, the UIF data was a very important information for us to focus on.”  

The SIU has found that the UIF has incurred an amount of R6.1 million in irregular expenditure regarding the disbursement of the TERS scheme.  

The TERS scheme was established by the government last year as part of relief to protect the jobs of five point five million workers due to the hard lockdown regulations. 

Minister of Employment and Labour Thulas Nxesi last year requested the SIU to conduct an investigation to review the Auditor-General report on findings related to the TERS paid for the COVID-19.  

Le Roux says supply chain management processes were flouted when five service providers were appointed for the awareness campaign of the TERS scheme.

Actions have been taken against all the officials who are involved in wrongs doings including criminal cases being referred to the relevant law enforcement. 

“As we are sitting here today, our members are testifying in ‘disciplinaries at the moment. The SIU referred seven disciplinary hearings to the acting commissioner on the 11th of December 2020. Charges have been brought against all officials. Five officials were found guilty and received written warnings. Two matters are still ongoing. The SIU then further made two disciplinary referrals against the COO and the then commissioner of the UIF.” 

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