South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned of "harsh" and "appropriate" action against irregularities in coronavirus-related tenders.

Mr Ramaphosa said government agencies had been directed not to make payments to the service providers pending the outcome of investigations or court action, in his weekly newsletter to the nation.

"They will not get to enjoy their ill-gotten gains, as steps have been taken to recover stolen money, including the freezing of bank accounts," he said.

A report released last year into the country's use of Covid-19 relief fund revealed overpricing and potential fraud.

In some cases personal protective equipment (PPE) was bought for five times more than the price the national treasury had advised.

President Ramaphosa said "hard lessons have been learned" from people who "took advantage of the urgency of the moment".

"Our nation’s experience in the procurement of essential supplies and services during the national state of disaster is a disgraceful chapter that must be firmly closed," he said.