Digital Vibes: ANC MPs accused of shielding Mkhize from accountability

Opposition MPs have lashed out at their African National Congress (ANC) counterparts for the lack of action in the Digital Vibes scandal and failing to ensure that former health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize faces the music for his role.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Health held a special sitting on Friday, 1 October 2021, to outline the way forward after the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU) report into the R150 million Digital Vibes contract was released by the Presidency.

Some of the shocking revelations from the report include that the now-disgraced ex-minister pushed for the lucrative tender to be awarded to the company, which was run by two of his associates (Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha). The release of the SIU report into Digital Vibes also comes nearly a week after the Department of Health’s Director-General Dr Sandile Buthelezi was placed on suspension, for his alleged role in the saga.

MPs blamed for Digital Vibes saga

The DA’s Siviwe Gwarube did not hold back in her remarks and slammed ANC MPs for not seeing to it that Zweli Mkhize appeared before the same committee to give his side of the story. He had been scheduled to appear several months ago, but pulled out at the last minute, saying he was following advice given by his legal team.

“The reality chair is that we have to take responsibility where we have erred. Members of this committee, a number of them, particularly members of the ANC shielded the former Minister from accountability and blocked that meeting from happening, talking about sub judice rules, talking about how the matter could not be properly ventilated,” said Gwarube.

ANC MPs had argued that the Digital Vibes probe was sub judice, which meant it cannot be discussed. However this turned out to be untrue as it was still under the SIU.

“With the publication of this SIU report it is absolutely clear to us that because of the majority held by the governing party in this committee, we failed in our duties because we had an opportunity to pose direct questions to the former Minister, but we didn’t do that because we were blocked from doing that.”

DA MP Siviwe Gwarube