Only 201,000 from the initially targeted one million vulnerable citizens will now benefit from the Covid-19 vulnerability assistance fund, Social Welfare Minister Paul Mavima has confirmed.

He said the new figure was reached after a new database screened and discovered 201 000 people were in need of government assistance after they were affected by the coronavirus induced national lockdown.

"We now have a new database of 201 000 people," said Mavima.

Last month, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said the government had set aside $600 million to offer monetary assistance to one million vulnerable people before the number of beneficiaries was reduced to 200 100.

Mavima said the screening process was redone to weed out undeserving recipients while ensuring only genuine people affected by the lockdown benefited from the programme.