The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has confirmed that former Health Minister Doctor Zweli Mkhize has served it with court papers.
Mkhize is demanding that its findings on his involvement in the Digital Vibes contract be set aside as well as declared unlawful and unconstitutional.
The SIU report which was released earlier found that Mkhize, his family and friends unduly benefitted from the R150-million contract.
The SIU also found that Mkhize deliberately ignored a Cabinet decision when he allowed Digital Vibes to be appointed to conduct communications work on the National Health Insurance (NHI).
At the time, Cabinet had resolved that the Government Communications Information System would NHI communication strategy.
As a result of the findings, Mkhize resigned from his position.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says, “We have received the papers in that regard. What we can say to you is that we have instructed our lawyers to defend the matter. The matter is sub-judice, we will look into the document that was sent to us and our lawyers will then prepare a response, and only then will the public know what our response is.”
Report into the release of the Digital Vibes contract:
Damning findings
Digital Vibes, owned by Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha, was awarded R150 million to provide communication during the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
The 114-page report details how R150 million communications contract was unlawfully awarded with the tender process having reportedly been set up to favour Digital Vibes.
The report shows that service fees for COVID-19 communications were highly inflated.
According to documents the SIU filed at the Special Tribunal, Mkhize repeatedly met with Digital Vibes Director Radha Hariram at a fuel station in Stanger in KwaZulu-Natal, where he allegedly collected cash directly linked to the department’s contract.
In the document below, full details of the Presidential Report into Digital Vibes:
