By localnew 
Hawks Arrest Eight Department of Labour Officials in Limpopo UIF Fraud Case
The Hawks have arrested eight officials from the Department of Labour in Limpopo in connection with an alleged Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) fraud scheme.
The arrests were carried out by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation units based in Phalaborwa and Musina, following a probe into fraudulent activities at the department’s office in Tzaneen.
According to investigators, a private company has also been implicated in the scheme. Between January and May 2025, the suspects allegedly colluded to submit false UIF claims on behalf of beneficiaries. It is alleged that the officials received gratification in return for processing the fraudulent claims.
The scheme is estimated to have cost the Department of Labour more than R825,000.
The eight suspects appeared before the Tzaneen Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, where they were charged with fraud, corruption, theft and money laundering. The court granted bail ranging from R2,500 to R20,000, and the case was postponed to 20 February 2026 for further investigations.
The Hawks said the arrests form part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on UIF-related corruption, warning that more arrests are expected as investigations continue.