The public protector’s office released a statement on Monday.

“We have been consistent in our call on the bureaucracy to exercise prudence when it comes to spending public funds on Covid-19 related goods and services,” Mkhwebane said.

“We have stressed that deviation from normal procurement processes is not a declaration of an open season to pillage.” 

Mkhwebane says hundreds of South Africans have approached the office to complain about government declining their applications for the Covid-19 grant.

“At least 450 people have approached the office to complain about what they deem unreasonable grounds for declining their applications for the R350-a-month special social relief of distress grant.” 

She has also decided to probe the so-called ambulance scooters saga in the Eastern Cape, as well as alleged tender irregularities in the awarding of a quarantine camp tender in Mpumalanga and allegations of irregularities in the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by the provincial Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal.

Jacaranda FM