Durban - The SIU’s probe into the Department of Health’s controversial R150m Covid-19 communications contract awarded to Digital Vibes is now in the hands of President Cyril Ramaphosa, the investigating unit has confirmed.
Kaizer Kganyago, SIU spokesperson, said they submitted the report to the Presidency before midnight on Wednesday in line with the deadline the unit had announced when it undertook the investigation.
“We have submitted it to the president, it is in the hands of the president and the Presidency and they will take it from there, we are out of it.
“We agreed that the Presidency must issue a statement in this regard, but I don’t know why they are not,” Kganyago said.
The Presidency is yet to confirm receipt of the report from the SIU while it also did not respond on whether it had received the report.
At the centre of the investigation is Health Minister Dr Zweli 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.
The pair were accused by the company’s owner and director Radha Hariram of embezzling around R80m from the company.
In May, Ramaphosa said when the report was finally handed over to him by the SIU he would take his time to consider what the SIU had come up with following which he would then be able to handle the matter.
Already, 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.
Political Bureau