Modise and Masondo condemn rampant looting of country’s Covid-19 funds

Parliamentary Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo have spoken out against the looting of the Covid-19 funds. Picture: Screengrab

Parliamentary Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo have spoken out against the looting of the Covid-19 funds. Picture: Screengrab

Published Sep 24, 2020

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Parliamentary Speaker Thandi Modise and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo have spoken out against the looting of the Covid-19 funds.

The two made the statement ahead of the Heritage Day celebrations saying all those implicated in wrongdoing in relation to Covid-19 funds must face the full might of the law.

They said it cannot be business as usual in the country when people were helping themselves to the funds that were needed to fight the pandemic.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has roped in the Special Investigating Unit and other agencies to probe the theft of personal protective equipment (PPE) funds.

Several individuals and companies have been alleged to have looted the funds.

The Auditor-General, Kimi Makwetu, also released a damning report into how funds from different departments and entities were stolen.

In their statement on Wednesday, Masondo and Modise said as the country marks Heritage Day it should be reminded of the difficulties of the pandemic.

“Unfortunately, as the nation is battling this unprecedented challenge, some individuals and companies have sought to unscrupulously benefit from this devastating crisis by embezzling funds intended to save lives, particularly of the poor,” said Masondo and Modise.

“Such brazen disregard for the sanctity of life and the greediness goes against everything we should stand for as a nation, particularly during a crisis of this magnitude,” they said.

“We strongly condemn such rampant acts of corruption and urge the criminal justice system to leave no stone unturned in bringing justice, particularly to the poorest of the poor,” they added.

The government has been under pressure to act swiftly against those who have been implicated in the looting of Covid-19 funds.

Civil society and political parties said they want action on these cases and not words from the government.

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Covid-19Lockdown