Johannesburg – Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s fate regarding whether he keeps his job or is fired is in the hands of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Presidency confirmed on Tuesday that it had received the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) report, and said Ramaphosa was going to study it before making a decision.
Acting Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale confirmed receiving the report on the controversial R150 million Digital Vibes contract, in which the Department of Health tasked the company with communications work.
“The Presidency has received the final report from the SIU,and is studying it and will keep the public in the loop with developments in the matter,” said Seale.
Digital Vibes is accused of inflating prices and doing work that the department could have done internally.
It was also alleged that a house owned by Mkhize’s family trust had renovations financed by the company, which also purchased a vehicle for Mkhize’s son, Dedani.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago last week confirmed that they had submitted the report to the Presidency before midnight on Wednesday in line with the deadline the unit had announced when it undertook the investigation.
At the centre of the investigation is Mkhize, who is implicated in the awarding of the contract to Digital Vibes, a company that had his close associates Tahera Mather, his long-time spokesperson, and Naadhira Mitha, his former personal assistant, doing work for the department.
In May, Ramaphosa said that when the report was finally handed over to him by the SIU he would take his time to consider what the unit had come up with, following which he would then be able to handle the matter.
While conducting its probe the SIU scored a victory against Digital Vibes after the Special Tribunal had given it the go-ahead to freeze R22m found in the banking and investment accounts linked to Digital Vibes, and companies and individuals who had been paid by Digital Vibes.
Mkhize remains on special leave.