THE Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) commissioner Teboho Maruping is still on precautionary suspension in connection with the now cancelled R5 billion contract with Thuja Holdings.

Maruping was suspended in September last year for his role in the contract, which was set aside by the Pretoria High Court four months earlier and an appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court of Appeal.

His suspension came almost after he was slapped with a final warning in connection with Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme.

In a parliamentary reply, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth said Maruping will remain on precautionary suspension until the finalisation of his disciplinary hearing.

Meth stated that she unfortunately could not advise of a specific date for the finalisation of the matter due to the disciplinary hearing getting adjourned for various reasons and the availability of the parties and the chairperson.

“It is, however, the intention and wish of the department to have the disciplinary hearing finalised as soon as possible,” she said.

“The suspension is necessary to ensure that there is no possible intimidation or interference with witnesses or other undesirable acts more so given that fact that some of the people who are witnesses in this case are employees of the Unemployment Insurance Fund.”

She also said the current disciplinary hearing based on the charge sheet dated September 12, 2024, against Maruping was ongoing, with the parties having agreed on dates for the hearing in mid-February and the first week of March 2025.

“The commissioner is still on precautionary suspension, though he has challenged it at the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSBC), and the matter is still pending.”

She was responding to parliamentary questions from DA MP Michael Bagraim, who enquired whether Maruping would remain on suspension indefinitely.

The charge sheet against the UIF commissioner states that the department instituted disciplinary action regarding serious allegations of dishonesty in the performance of his duties, recklessness, and negligence.

This was after the then minister Thulas Nxesi had appointed an independent forensic investigator to investigate reports of the irregular and unlawful conclusion of the UIF-Thuja agreement.

The investigation made serious allegations about Maruping’s involvement in the unlawful conclusion of the UIF-Thuja agreement.

“Your conduct as set out in the forensic report amounts to a breach, not only of your contract of employment, but statutory provisions of the UIF Act,” reads the charge sheet.

Bagraim noted that Maruping was previously suspended in 2023 even though no action was taken for the first suspension and asked what he was charged for.

In her reply, Meth said Maruping had been placed on precautionary suspension during 2021/2022 financial year to finalise the disciplinary measures against him.

“At the disciplinary hearing, he was found guilty in relation to the irregular appointment of media houses to market the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (Covid-19 TERS).

“Commissioner was found not to have benefitted from Covid-19 TERS either through corrupt or fraudulent means. However, consequence management was meted out to him for the irregular appointment of media houses and the commissioner received a sanction of a final written warning of one month’s suspension without pay,” she said.

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za