Mkhwebane notes some resistance in accessing documents related to Covid-19 corruption

Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane confirmed that her office had received 1602 Covid-19 related complaints, with a bulk of these related to service delivery failures.

She said eight of the Covid-19 complaints were related to good governance matters and procurement irregularities with financial implications for the public purse, estimated at R 4 billion.

All investigations were in progress she said, adding that her department had experienced challenges in some provinces with regard to access to documents and evidence.  The challenges were however settled.

A committee has been established with senior and well-experienced investigators whose focus will solely be to probe the alleged looting of funds.

Sifting through the flood of complaints, she said some complaints related to government’s R 350 Covid-19 financial relief scheme, with more than 450 people approaching her office to lodge queries.

Mkhwebane is expected to probe alleged maladministration and irregularities of the procurement processes related to alleged tender irregularities in the awarding of a quarantine camp tender.

She is also expected to shed light on irregularities in the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment in KwaZulu-Natal by the provincial department of education.

Mentioning that subpoenas were issued to various parties she clarified that these were merely issued to expedite processes.

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