Cape Town - The Department of Employment and Labour says it is working closely with the Auditor-General to implement his recommendations after he identified the looting of Covid-19 funds.
Labour minister Thulas Nxesi told the National Council of Provinces on Tuesday that the implementations of the AG's recommendations were in full swing.
The AG, Kimi Makwetu, had identified fraud and corruption after irregular payments were made.
The Special Investigating Unit is probing 157 cases in relation to Covid-19 corruption in the department.
Nxesi told the NCOP that they are working with Makwetu to root out corruption.
"In my initial input I have listed measures taken to implement the auditor-general's recommendations. These measures are well underway and we are working closely with the AG's office in this respect," said Nxesi.
He added they have put in place in control measures in the Unemployment Insurance Fund to prevent fraud and corruption.
They were also following the money by identifying individuals who irregularly benefitted from the funds.
The AG had identified a number of people who were wrongly paid and the corruption cost the department millions of rands.
"They follow the money, it's a process we have just started because we have appointed forensic auditors and even with that we had to be meticulous and we don't repeat the mistakes, which some of the mistakes were highlighted in terms of the procurement process. We have just started that process," said Nxesi.
He said some of the people who had irregularly benefited were identified by the department before the auditor-general came in.
The Auditor-General will release his second report on Covid-19 corruption in the department next month.
Nxesi said they have appointed several companies to help them identify the culprits.
"We have not appointed one service provider, we have appointed 8 or 9 companies to help us with this,' said Nxesi..
IOL