Independent News reports that on Wednesday Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke released the updated findings on the second audit of Covid-19 relief funds.  

She commended significant improvement and recoveries made by some of the state entities that were flagged for poor financial controls in the disbursing of the funds, including the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF).  The findings were a follow-up to the first audit results that were released by then auditor-general Kimi Makwetu, in September, and which pointed to mismanagement and corruption in the disbursing of some of the R500 billion relief package meant to mitigate the effects of the virus.  Makwetu had attributed shortcomings to poor financial controls and wrongdoing, including overpricing, unfair tender processes and potential fraud.  Maluleke said the second audit had focused on the socio-economic spend and followed up on whether the recommendations the office gave to departments and state entities had been followed.  She said the Department of Labour and Employment had taken corrective action since the release of Makwetu’s report.  Maluleke hailed the department’s success in recovering some of the billions of rand that the UIF wrongly disbursed to illegitimate beneficiaries.  “As we speak now, R3.4bn has gone back to the coffers of the UIF because there was responsiveness,” she indicated.  Maluleke said the third instalment of the Covid-19 relief spend audit would focus on municipalities and the report would be issued next year.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Siviwe Feketha at Independent News
• Read too, Auditor-general finds slight improvement in Covid-19 relief funds audit, at BusinessLive (paywall access only)

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