By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is considering resigning over an investigation into a tendering scandal, according to people familiar with the matter.
President Cyril Ramaphosa discussed three options with Mkhize, including that he be moved out of the cabinet in a reshuffle or that he voluntarily step aside temporarily while the probe continues, said one of the people who asked not to be identified because they are not authorised to speak about the matter. The third option is that Mkhize quit.
Gwen Ramokgopa, a former Gauteng health MEC, is a favourite to succeed Mkhize as minister, the people said. Ramokgopa was last month elected to the ruling party’s National Working Committee.
Mkhize was supposed to appear before the health committee to explain the controversial R150 million Digital Vibes communications contract his department dished out to his associates, but failed to do so, citing legal advice while the matter is investigated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU).
Opposition MPs were furious, but the ANC contingent on the committee backed Mkhize’s decision.
DA MP Siviwe Gwarube said: “One of the greatest injustices of our time is the fact that we have an albatross around our necks – the ANC government. It is stacked to the rafters with thieves, looters and cheats and people too selfish to spare a thought for those who elected them. During the world’s deadliest pandemic, South Africa’s government leaders decided that it is their time to eat.”
She said the SIU had confirmed that more than R14 billion in Covid-19 corruption was being investigated, and that it was the worst wave of corruption they had ever seen.
EFF MP Suzan Thembekwayo said her party “harshly condemns” Ramaphosa, Mkhize and the entire executive for “preserving themselves and their reputation at the cost of our people”.
“People in South Africa are still under the deception that by next year February, 40 million people will be vaccinated, while the minister of finance has not made available adequate funds for that to be done,” she said.
FF Plus MP Phillip van Staden said the Digital Vibes case was “haunting” Mkhize and called on him to “step up and provide clarity before the SIU report is released”.
He said confidence in the government was at an all-time low due to the corruption that had occurred in this department.
Digital Vibes purchased a second-hand bakkie for Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s son around the same time the Department of Health transferred about R50 million to the company for its services.
This according to the latest report by the Daily Maverick‘s investigative unit, Scorpio, which revealed that around the same time Digital Vibes was paid by the department for services related to the National Health Insurance and Covid-19 communications efforts, a 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser was bought by the company and registered in Dedani Mkhize’s name.
The car was valued at R160,000 and was purchased in May 2020. It is said to be in use at Dedani’s farm outside Pietermaritzburg.
According to the publication, payment for the car and R300,000 was transferred to his company, All Out Trading, on the same day.
It is alleged Digital Vibes is controlled by Mkhize’s former aide, Tahera Mather, and his former personal assistant, Naadhira Mitha, though the two are not listed as directors.
The publication said when it contacted Dedani, he said the car belonged to his farm manager and was a gift from Mather with whom he had a close relationship.
“My dealings with her are not business, they are just fun and leisure. I promised her I’ll keep this a secret coz [sic] she always says she’s scared of comrade Khabazela [Zweli Mkhize].
“Now this thing is messing up my life coz [sic], now T [Mather] does not respond to me coz [sic] you guys are chasing her,” he told the publication.
Digital Vibes is currently the subject of an investigation by the SIU, which it said was at an advanced stage.
Its head, advocate Andy Mothibi, told the South African National Editors’ Forum, at a briefing last week, the SIU would be making an announcement in the coming weeks.
He said the SIU did not want to “cut corners” but wanted to ensure the findings were backed by “solid evidence”.
On Wednesday, Mkhize said the department’s investigation found the tender bidding process followed was in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
He denied benefiting from the Digital Vibes contract and that Mather and Mitha were his friends.
Mkhize has spearheaded SA’s coronavirus response and initially won widespread praise for his sombre approach toward tackling the pandemic. He contracted Covid-19 as he crisscrossed the country to assess the state of the health system and made scores of public appearances to educate people about the disease.