COSATU welcomes arrest of eight suspects in R825,000 Limpopo UIF theft

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has welcomed the arrest of eight individuals by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, in connection with the theft of R825,000 from the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s (UIF) regional office in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

According to the federation, these arrests strengthen the ongoing efforts by the UIF and law enforcement agencies to track payments made to workers and businesses, ensuring that all public funds are fully accounted for.

Matthew Parks, COSATU’s Parliamentary Coordinator, stated that the federation views this development as a significant step in the government’s broader campaign to root out corruption within the state, an initiative led by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Parks highlighted that the involvement of the DPCI underscores the severity of the systemic issues within the institution.

“The fact that DPCI had to intervene and arrest the accused following numerous calls by COSATU for intervention by law enforcement confirms the Federation’s long-standing fears of a UIF bedevilled by archaic systems that have enabled the cancer of corruption to spread across this important institution established to provide relief to workers during their moment of need.”