Covid-19: Ramaphosa vows to put a stop to corruption and funding mismanagement

A proclamation signed by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 23 July will allow the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to probe any allegations relating to the misuse of Covid-19 funds across all spheres of the state.

“If the SIU finds evidence that a criminal offence has been committed, it is obliged to refer such evidence to the prosecuting authority,” the president said, adding that it was also empowered to institute civil proceedings for the recovery of any damages or losses incurred by the state.

To ensure that this is actioned swiftly, the president said he would be receiving interim reports on the progress of investigations every 6 weeks.

He raised concerns over the corruption and mismanagement of public funds which had become apparent since he announced the R500 billion economic stimulus package.

“From the outset of our response to the pandemic, we have been quite clear that there should be no scope for corruption in the use of these resources. More so than at any other time, corruption now puts lives at risk.”

Various allegations of corruption amongst public officials, including collusion between officials and service providers, fraudulent UIF claims, overpricing of goods and services, and violation of emergency procurement regulations have surfaced.

President Ramaphosa has also established a collaborative and coordinating centre to strengthen the collective efforts of law enforcement agencies. He explained, “This aims to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute Covid-19 related corruption by bringing together nine state institutions.”

These include the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Hawks, Crime Intelligence and the SAPS Detective Service, the South African Revenue Service, the Special Investigative Unit and the State Security Agency.

“This centre is investigating allegations of corruption in areas such as the distribution of food parcels, social relief grants, the procurement of personal protective equipment and other medical supplies, and the UIF special Covid-19 scheme,” he said.

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