The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) has welcomed the arrest of two Eastern Cape women in connection with an alleged R1.1 million fraud scheme involving UIF funds.
The suspects appeared in the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crime Court following their arrest by the Hawks.
One of the women was employed by the Department of Employment and Labour in the Employer Services Section, where she was responsible for capturing and verifying employer declarations and UI-19 forms.
According to the department, the investigation found that prospective UIF beneficiaries were allegedly assisted with claims despite some not meeting the requirements for benefits. Bank accounts were also allegedly arranged to receive proceeds from fraudulent claims.
The alleged irregularities were uncovered during an audit and subsequently referred for investigation.
The two women are accused of working together to facilitate the scheme.
UIF Commissioner Thulani Tshefuta welcomed the arrests, saying money lost through fraud takes resources away from workers who legitimately depend on the Fund.
The suspects were each released on R2,000 bail. The matter has been postponed to 5 October 2026 for legal representation.
The UIF said it would continue working with law enforcement agencies to strengthen measures aimed at detecting and preventing fraudulent claims.
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