An unwitting private security guard at the Soshanguve Labour Centre has been busted for attempting to extort a bribe from the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) Commissioner, Teboho Maruping.
Maruping opened a criminal case against the guard who asked him for R400 in order to expedite a benefit claim.
UIF bribery attempt
Undercover visit
According to UIF spokesperson, Trevor Hattingh, the attempted bribe happened on Tuesday when Maruping went to the centre on a working visit.
Maruping was disguised as an ordinary sokonnect to oversee the challenges that customers often encounter.
He also wanted to gain first-hand experience of the services given to the customers in the area in order to improve service delivery.
When Maruping arrived at the centre the guard – who did not know who he was – reportedly told him the centre was done capturing claims for the rest of the year.
She then offered to arrange for an employee at the centre to assist him, if he paid R400.
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Criminal case opened
Hattingh said the commissioner “allowed the entire process to unfold and then reported the incident to the labour centre manager who immediately had the security guard removed from the premises”.
Maruping registered the criminal case at the Soshanguve Police Station on the same day.
He also engaged with other personnel at the centre and condemned soliciting bribes from desperate customers for free services.
‘Zero-tolerance for corruption’
Maruping said the UIF had “a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption, extortion, bribery or any related criminal practices”.
He added: “All services of the UIF are free to citizens and should not be paid for”.
“I am warning officials working at Labour Centres to desist from taking bribes in order to do what they were employed to do”, Maruping said.
He also called on labour centre officials to report any form of corruption and he vowed to continue his visits to centres across the country to uproot corruption.
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