One of the basic tenets of a justice system is that there should be consequences for breaking the law.In SA, too often, such consequences are neither speedy, nor inevitable.
The Asset Forfeiture Unit’s recovery of R35m misappropriated by elements of the Eastern Cape transport industry has revealed how Covid-19 Ters money was rampantly abused.
The recovery of R35m unlawfully misappropriated by elements in the Eastern Cape transport industry from the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Covid-19 Ters funding may be the tip of a large and dirty iceberg. Beneficiaries appeared to include government employees and dead people. This tipped off the UIF to dirty dealings at a time when it was doing its first basic audit of payments totalling some R200m to transport umbrella body Eastern Cape Transport Tertiary Co-operative (ETCC) and dozens of it.