The UIF also announced the extension of the Covid-19 Temporary Employer-Employee Relief Scheme (TERS) benefits until the end of the National State of Disaster, but no new applications will be allowed.

The fund’s Makhosonke Buthelezi says they are working with the Department of Home Affairs and other government databases to verify about 5 million applications.

"It has been a week since we have not been paying the benefits and delayed them, and the reason is that following the observation of the auditor-general where they identified certain risk in our payments so we've had to stop with the payments to attend to those risks.

"And part of that is us verifying close to 5 million IDs of applicants with Home Affairs. Five million records is a huge number and it is hard to say when we will resume payments.”

He says the police are currently investigating 35 cases of corruption.

"In terms of individual companies there are about 35 cases reported for further investigations.

"As we get reports we refer to our risk [department] and they also follow the cases and if they are serious they refer those to the law enforcement agencies.”

Jacaranda FM