Johannesburg – The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has said that it has been granted an order to freeze R22 million held in the bank and investment accounts linked to Digital Vibes.
“The SIU will approach the Special Tribunal to have the Covid-19 media campaign contract irregularly awarded by the Department of Health of South Africa to Digital Vibes declared unlawful and invalid,” the SIU said in a statement.
This comes after a contract awarded to Digital Vibes communications company was “irregular” and that disciplinary action against all those implicated is underway.
The matter relates to the R150 million COVID-19 and National Health Insurance communications service contract scored by Digital Vibes.
Mkhize’s former personal assistant, Naadhira Mitha and Tahera Mather, who worked with him when he was Treasurer-General at the ANC’s Luthuli House, run the company.
South Africa’s minister of health, Dr Zweli Mkhize confirmed that the investigation found that the process of appointing Digital Vibes was irregular.
“The irregularity findings range from the inconsistencies in the bid committee’s to lack of disclosure of conflict of interest,” Mkhize said in May earlier this year.
Mkhize has been placed on special leave since news broke of his implication in the Digital Vibes scandal.
Just last week, The Department of Health made a sudden U-turn, abruptly abandoning the planned disciplinary process against officials allegedly implicated in the controversial multimillion-rand Digital Vibes contract, which was awarded to Mkhize’s associates.
The planned disciplinary process appears to have collapsed for fear that it may backfire against the department as the officials are understood to have been ready “to spill the beans” on the scandal.
Sunday World has it on good authority that the department has stopped the process to suspend Dr Anban Pillay, the department’s deputy director-general for health regulations and compliance management and Popo Maja, who is chief director for communications and stakeholder management.
SIU granted order to freeze R22 million held in bank and investment accounts linked to Digital Vibes. The SIU will approach the Special Tribunal to have the Covid-19 media campaign contract irregularly awarded by @HealthZA to Digital Vibes declared unlawful and invalid. pic.twitter.com/Aa7yGgMuMh
— Special Investigating Unit (SIU) (@RSASIU) June 23, 2021
Also read:
U-turn in Mkhize Digital Vibes tender scandal
Mkhize suspends top officials following Digital Vibes contract scandal
Conscience of a Centrist: Ramaphosa drops ball on tourism
The ANC falters because it doesn’t take morality and ethics seriously
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
Sunday World
