Finance Minister Tito Mboweni took to Twitter on Sunday to condemn the theft of Covid-19 relief funds. (Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas)
Gallo Images/Ziyaad Douglas
- Finance Minister Tito Mboweni took to Twitter on Sunday to condemn the theft of Covid-19 relief funds.
- He believes theft should be “dealt with decisively”.
- The tweets followed a promise by President Cyril Ramaphosa that “very, very severe consequences” are in store for those found guilty of theft or corruption relating to Covid-19 relief funds.
“What kind of people are these criminals?”
This was a line from one of three late-night tweets by Minister of Finance Tito Mboweni on Sunday evening about corruption involving Covid-19 tenders.
The minister took to Twitter on Sunday evening to tweet about the theft of funds, a few days after President Cyril Ramaphosa vowed “very very severe consequences” for corruption Covid-19 relief funds.
The wrongs being done by unscrupulous thieves must be dealt with decisively. It is time that leadership led without fear, favour or prejudice. Watch the space.
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) July 26, 2020
A tender is an ethical contract. It is not a blank cheque to deceive and steal. And stealing from unwell people! During a COVID-19 pandemic! Please people. What kind of people are these criminals?!
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) July 26, 2020
We should be working together to defeat the virus. Not see this as an opportunity to defraud the State and unwell people. We are watching you and there has to be consequences. For sure. Game over!
— Tito Mboweni (@tito_mboweni) July 26, 2020
In his address on Thursday evening, the president said fraud and corruption remain a concern even with the money being safeguarded by measures put in place by the Auditor-General.
“What concerns me, and what concerns all South Africans, is those instances where funds are stolen and misused – where goods we have to procure are diverted, or food parcels are stolen from needy households,” he said.
Mboweni, meanwhile, tweeted on Sunday evening that a a tender is an “ethical contract and not a blank cheque to deceive and steal”.
He did not provide any more information about what he meant by “consequences”.
Mboweni’s tweets come amid concerns over corruption involving tenders for Covid-19 relief.
Last week, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala stated at a media briefing that nearly R30 million had been uncovered in irregular expenditure for personal protective equipment and blankets by the province’s social development department.
