The suspension, which resulted in a 24-hour delay, was necessitated by the need to address some control deficiencies in the Covid-19 TERS online payment system.
The Department of Employment and Labour on Wednesday said the UIF was subjected to an audit by the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA) as part of a wider Covid-19 audit in State organs.
The AGSA team had observed some control deficiencies and anomalies in the system, which prompted a delay in payments.
“The suspension of payments is not a new thing to the fund. We do it all the time when we pick up certain anomalies that increase risk or expose us to potential fraud.
“There are instances where, at the behest of our Internal Audit and Risk Management Units, we have stopped payments to certain companies when certain deficiencies had been identified. This is part of our governance framework,” UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said.
Maruping said when the Auditor General performs audits and makes observations, the UIF at times needs to stop its activities to correct the situation.
“As the UIF management, we recognise and acknowledge the possible negative impact this might have on millions of workers, who depend on these cash injections. That is why we would like to appeal to our contributors to bear with us because these intermissions are designed to make the fund stronger, so that it can continue doing its work of providing sustenance to workers in their time of need,” he said.
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