South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday released a Special Investigating Unit report into a US$11-million Covid-19 communication scandal whose findings have revealed that former health minister Zweli Mkhize and his associates corruptly awarded the contract to Digital Vibes last year.
The 114-page report detailed how the multimillion-dollar communications contract was unlawfully awarded with the tender process having reportedly been set up to favour Digital Vibes, a firm owned by Tahera Mather, Naadhira Mitha and Radha Hariram, to provide a communications campaign during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministry of Health officials, including former director-general Anban Pillay and Precious Matsoso, were named in the report which showed that service fees for Covid-19 communications were highly inflated. Pillay and Matsoso were members of the Technical Evaluation Committee at the ministry.
According to the report, the contract was given to Digital Vibes despite a cabinet memorandum instructing the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) to drive the Ministry of Health Covid-19 media campaign.
The report chided Mkhize for approving the appointment of Digital Vibes to drive Covid-19 awareness campaigns despite a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure decision to task GCIS to drive the campaigns.
“In fact, it can be argued that the minister deliberately ignored a Cabinet decision on the matter,” the report said, adding that he misled the president when the matter first came up that he had no knowledge of it.
The report stated that Mkhize benefitted from repairs done at his home by Digital Vibes.
His son also allegedly received US$21,000 from Digital Vibes, plus US$11,000 paid towards the purchase of a luxurious vehicle for him.
The report found Digital Vibes and its owners guilty of fraud for allegedly paying gratifications and failing to declare and pay company tax and Value Added Tax to the South African Revenue Service.
Ministry of Health director-general Sandile Buthelezi was recently placed on precautionary suspension regarding the matter.
Ramaphosa placed Mkhize on leave in June, and the report recommended prosecutions of a host of other officials for their role in the scandal.
NM/jn/APA