Mboweni rubbishes Covid-19 fund claims as ‘urban legend’
Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has rubbished claims of the disappearance of R500 billion meant for Covid-19 relief programmes.
Mboweni has described these claims as “an urban legend”.
"The R500 billion composed of different elements, one of which was the R200 billion of the National Loans Guarantee Scheme which works thought the private sector banks, the South African Reserve Bank and the National Treasury together with private enterprise to keep the oil working on the economy.
"There's is an urban legend that has emerged now which says the R500 billion package has disappeared. Nothing could be further from the truth, that is the most amazing urban legend. How could R500 billion disappear? There is nothing of the sort," said the minister.
Mboweni spoke during the vote on the Appropriations on Adjustments Appropriation Bill in Parliament on Wednesday.
Parliament wants Mboweni to explain Covid-19 corruption
This comes amid allegations that some high-profile politicians have benefiting from dodgy Covid-19 deals and that anti-corruption investigators were probing contracts involving more than R2 billion. Chairperson of Parliament's finance committee Joe Maswanganyi says there are widespread allegations of corruption involving provincial departments of health and some municipalities.
Mboweni expressed concern over allegations that assume every tender is granted through an act of corruption.
Listen to Mboweni below: