Staff Reporter.
Former health minister Zweli Mkhize is preparing to approach the courts with an application to have the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) report into Digital Vibes’ R150 million contract with the Department of Health reviewed.
This comes after Mkhize resigned from his position on Thursday after meeting President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier in the day.
In his resignation letter,Mkhize told Ramaphosa that he would turn to the courts because the SIU had proceeded unfairly and produced a “flawed and unfounded report”.
“I write this letter to confirm formally that, on advice of my legal team, I will be instituting an application in the high court for the judicial review of the SIU report.
“The report and the findings made by the SIU are vitiated by what my legal team characterises as its misconduct during the investigation, comprising several identifiable and serious irregularities.
“President, it is regrettably clear that the SIU worked with a predetermined outcome and a closed mind in the investigation, proceeded unfairly and reached a flawed and unfounded report,” Mkhize said.
Mkhize said that he had been unfairly treated by the SIU during their investigation into the Digital Vibes contract, which is similar to what his son,Dedani,has also repeatedly voiced.
He further said the SIU findings would not go unchallenged.
“I believe that it is important to allow a court to reach an independent conclusion concerning the legality of the SIU investigative process, and the conclusions and findings it made, since our engagements with them. The SIU’s conduct and conclusions cannot be ignored or left unchallenged.”
Digital Vibes was initially contracted to handle the department’s National Health Insurance (NHI) communication work, but its scope was later expanded to include work on the department’s Covid-19 campaigns.
The SIU has already filed a 90-page affidavit to the Special Tribunal in a bid to recover the R150 million paid to Digital Vibes.