Minister of Employment and Labour Nomakhosazana Meth has announced that Unemployment Insurance Commissioner, Tebogo Maruping, has been placed on precautionary suspension, following a briefing received from the Acting Director General, Viwe Mlenzana.

The Minister placed Maruping on precautionary suspension on Friday due to the nature of charges he is facing, which emanate inter alia, from the alleged role he played in the conclusion of the agreement between the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) and Thuja Holdings led by Mthunzi Mdwaba amounting to R5 billion.

The agreement was declared invalid and therefore set aside by the Pretoria High Court on 28 May 2024. The Supreme Court of Appeal further dismissed with costs the subsequent appeal that was lodged by Mdwaba on 15 August 2024.

Meth said the agreement caused a public outcry, especially in the employment and labour sector.

She said the Commissioner’s disciplinary process will be dealt with expeditiously, allowing the administration an opportunity to pay
undivided attention to the primary mandate of the UIF of providing short-term relief to workers who find themselves unemployed or unable to work due to illness, maternity, adoption including to dependants of the deceased contributors.

‘I have further mandated the Acting DG to deal with all systematic and capacity challenges within the department and its entities so that we can respond adequately to the unemployment challenges in the country.

‘I am very much mindful of the UIF’s challenges; specifically, the system challenges and the negative impact on workers, the unemployed, beneficiaries of deceased contributors and employers alike. I would like to assure the public that work is currently underway to respond adequately to such challenges,’ Meth said.

Source: South African Government News Agency