The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) says it doubts an explanation by embattled health minister Zweli Mkhize that his messenger stole the money meant for repair work at his Bryanston property, intimating that it leaves more questions than answers.
In court papers filed in the Special Tribunal on Thursday, which Business Day has seen, the SIU stated that “there is evidence that the minister has directly and indirectly received gratifications from Digital Vibes,” citing R3.8m that flowed to Mkhize’s son, Dedani, while another R6,720 was used for repairs at Mkhize’s Bryanston residence.
The SIU said Digital Vibes, a communications company headed by Mkhize’s former personal assistant, Tahera Mather, and his former secretary, Naadhira Mitha, settled the R6,720 invoice, and that the required services had been identified by Mkhize’s wife.
In its affidavit, the SIU said the particulars on the two invoices reflected the requester of the services as being one “Mkhize”, and that a cellphone number was also attached in the invoices.
Mkhize told the SIU that he had not requested the services and that the cellphone number in the invoice did not belong to him or an account registered in his name.
“However, the indicated cellphone number, in eNatis [Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System] records, is linked to vehicles registered in the name of the minister,” the SIU stated.
In his defence, Mkhize told the SIU that a messenger also with the surname Mkhize, who was in his employ had “subsequently confessed that the cash to pay for the maintenance services that had been provided by the minister’s housekeeper, had been stolen by him”.
“When payment for the services became due, the messenger approached Mitha, who according to the messenger, paid R6,720 to the service provider. However, the obtained evidence indicates that Digital Vibes, and not Ms Mitha, paid for these services.”
The SIU said during the questioning of the minister, Mkhize “did not indicate whether he had dismissed the messenger or laid criminal charges against him for this alleged theft”.
“Therefore, the veracity of the explanation of the messenger is, in the view of the SIU, in doubt.”
The SIU, which is seeking to recoup the R150m spent on the controversial Digital Vibes contract, has accused Mkhize of unlawful and improper conduct for his role and wants his family to repay about R4m.
The contract was awarded to Digital Vibes for work that was related to the proposed National Health Insurance plan. The contract was later extended to projects on Covid-19. However, the SIU wants the contract, which it considers to be irregular expenditure, reviewed and set aside and for those implicated to be ordered to pay the SIU or the department of health the money they received with interest.
In the court papers, the SIU wants Digital Vibes, Mather and Mitha to be ordered to pay to the department of health the “amount of R150,002,607.80”, including interest at the prescribed rate calculated from the date of judgment.
The SIU report could force President Cyril Ramaphosa, who won office on an anticorruption ticket, to fire Mkhize, who has been on special leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the scandal.
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