Johannesburg - President Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Khusela Diko and Gauteng Health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku have been ordered by the Gauteng ANC top brass to explain their roles in the alleged irregular PPE tender of R125 million before the party’s special executive on Wednesday.
The instruction came from Gauteng ANC secretary Jacob Khawe following his marathon meeting with provincial chairperson and Premier David Makhura and Masuku following widespread and damning reports of corruption in the Gauteng Health Department in less than a year in Masuku’s maiden appointment as Health MEC.
Gauteng ANC spokesperson Bones Modise said Khawe has ordered the two to provide the ANC with a comprehensive report on their alleged involvement in the irregular awarding of a R1.25 million tender to Royal Bhaca Project - a company wholly owned by Khusela Diko’s husband.
Speaking to the media after the conclusion of the meeting last night, Modise said: “A decision was taken that the two members (Khusela Diko and Bandile Masuku) who are in the Gauteng ANC provincial executive committee, are expected to provide the provincial executive committee with their version of events which led to the awarding of the tender.
“The ANC decided that they did not want to rely on the media reports. So the two comrades will be expected to furnish the reports to the PEC,” Modise said.
He said Diko and Dr Masuku’s reports will be presented to a full special Gauteng provincial executive committee meeting on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the ANC in Gauteng is expected to make a decision on the allegations against them.
The party’s internal probe came as Makhura is expected to reveal progress in the investigations of at least 90 companies who were allegedly provided tenders irregularly to provide PPEs.
Makhura’s spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga said the Premier is expected to reveal the report before the end following his request in May to the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) to probe irregularities in the awarding of the tenders.
The SIU had since May deployed investigators to the Premier’s office to conduct preliminary investigations. But since Ramaphosa signed the proclamation into law, it has now allowed the SIU investigations to conduct their full investigations including petitioning the courts to recover some of the funds already paid out to the beneficiaries.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed that they were investigating 90 companies for irregular awarding of PPE tenders.
Kganyago, however, did not want to be drawn on the names of personalities allegedly involved in the fraud and corruption.