The African National Congress (ANC) says Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is innocent until proven guilty.
This comes after reports that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was probing a complaint about a multi-million-rand tender that was awarded to a communications company in KwaZulu-Natal.
According to the reports, two of Mkhize’s close associates allegedly benefited from the tender to provide communications on the roll out of the National Health Insurance (NHI) and later the COVID-19 pandemic.
ANC Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile says the party’s leadership will wait for Mkhize’s response on the reports.
“Well, I saw the story about Dr Mkhize. I haven’t really heard his side of the story. So I will give him the benefit of the doubt that there shouldn’t be anything we should worry about on the matter. I’m sure he will come to Luthuli House and explain to us what happened,” adds Mashatile.
Meanwhile, in 2020, Mkhize said all tender irregularities related to personal protective equipment (PPEs) must be exposed and investigated.
He said a zero-tolerance approach would be adopted in fighting corruption related to PPE tenders.
The video below is Dr. Zweli Mkhize’s 2020 address on the PPE corruption scandals:
