Former health minister Zweli Mkhize, at the centre of the R150m Digital Vibes saga, has responded to reports that state security agencies are wrapping up a criminal investigation against him.
Speaking to Business Day, Mkhize said: “There are a lot of unfounded and unjustified allegations and attacks against me. Nothing will deter me from serving our people. I started serving the people long ago at great risk and long before the party chose me.
“My commitment is to the people, the poor, the unemployed, those affected by crime and who live in helplessness and hopelessness. I can serve them whether I am in political office or outside,” he said.
Mkhize, who resigned as health minister after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) reported that he was involved in dodgy health tenders, including for Covid-19 supplies, says recent media reports are an attempt to “further tarnish” his reputation.
“I am not aware of any arrest. Nor have my lawyers been advised of any such thing,” he said of reports that his arrest was imminent.
“We have a matter in court where we have challenged the SIU report in the Johannesburg high court. We are waiting for the court to rule on the matter and set aside the report.
“All I want is for the law-enforcement agencies to be left alone to do their work. They must be led by evidence. There should be no pressure put on them, not even political pressure. There should be no sensationalist media reports either to influence their investigations,” said Mkhize.
“My lawyers have not been given any indication of any charges. As far as we are concerned, the issues that we raised are still being taken up for review. We asked that the SIU should prove that there was indeed a cabinet resolution that gave GCIS [government’s communications system] and not the department the powers to award certain tenders. It is clear that what is playing out in the media is an attempt to further tarnish my reputation.”
Mkhize said it was important that parliament’s joint committee on ethics took a stand and cleared him of breaching any rules. “I was cleared of benefiting from any deal. The acting registrar of members’ interests wrote to me to inform me that I had not breached the ethics code.”
Mkhize said he does not want to be drawn on reports of the existence of any alleged affidavit signed by his former associates at Digital Vibes, Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha, levelling serious accusations against him, that he allegedly wanted portion of the tender set aside to augment his funds for his campaign for the ANC presidency.
“I don’t want to go there. There’s lots of speculation out there. I am inundated with calls from so many people, including the media, about efforts by senior leaders to dig into my past dating back to when I was MEC for health, finance and economic development as well as premier (of KwaZulu-Natal) and find alleged wrongdoing so that law enforcement can use it against me.”
Mkhize, said to be guarded about his political aspirations, said that if ANC branches chose him to run for any position that was their prerogative. They should be left to do so without being “intimidated”.
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