UIF Commissioner Tebogo Maruping placed on precautionary suspension

CAPE TOWN - Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth has placed Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) commissioner, Tebogo Maruping, on precautionary suspension.

Maruping is accused of facilitating an unlawful R5 billion agreement between Thuja Holdings, led by Mthunzi Mdwaba, and the UIF department.

In May this year, the Pretoria High Court declared the agreement invalid and set it aside.

The minister made the decision to suspend Maruping following a briefing between herself and Acting Director-General, Viwe Mlenzana.

Thuja Holdings CEO, Mthunzi Mdwaba, launched an application to overturn this decision, which the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed with costs last month.

Labour Department spokesperson, Thobeka Magcai, said that a disciplinary process was already in motion.

"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."

Meanwhile, Minister Meth said that contingency plans had been put in place to ensure the smooth operation of the UIF department.

"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."