Tag: Digital Vibes

Categories : Ethics and Law General InterestTags :

Former Health Minister Mkhize Hits Back at SIU

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

An impending legal battle is on the horizon between former Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and President Cyril Ramaphosa over the government’s Digital Vibes scandal. Dr Mkhize has accused both of having a predetermined conclusion about his alleged involvement in the embattled government contractor.

Dr Mkhize has approached the North Gauteng Court to review and set aside findings and recommendations made against him by the SIU. He has also sought to declare the conduct of the SIU unlawful and unconstitutional. This comes after the SIU investigated alleged irregularities in a tender contract awarded by the national Department of Health to Digital Vibes.

In SIU supplementary documents dated September 30 and filed in Pretoria, the SIU claimed that Dr Mkhize had directly benefited from Digital Vibes transactions as the company paid for electrical repair work at his homes, and also that Dr Mkhize’s family and some of his close associates benefited from the tender and another contract worth R150 million.

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago confirmed receipt of 800 pages of court documents on Monday, and stated they were ready to oppose them in court.

Dr Mkhize went through some of the SIU’s key findings. alleging that they were markedly different from those put to him during its interrogation.

Dr Mkhize claims he did not derive any personal benefit from Digital Vibes or persons associated with it, and that the SIU failed to address his version of events and withheld evidence he provided to it. Furthermore, he claims he was “ambushed” during questioning as he had no advance warning of the allegations made. He claims some of the key findings by the SIU, in its referral to President Cyril Ramaphosa, were markedly different from those put to him during its interrogation, saying  the SIU failed to disclose allegations made against him by his subordinate, the former Health Department DG, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, on which the findings were drawn.
Mkhize further said that had his submissions and evidence been taken into account by the SIU, the organisation would have come to a different conclusion regarding his alleged involvement in the appointment of Digital Vibes.

Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Tyrone Seale, said that the Presidency was aware of the matter, but had not been served with papers.

Source: IOL

Categories : Ethics and Law General InterestTags :

Health Dept Suspends DG Buthelezi over Digital Vibes Tender

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash

In the latest development of the R150 million Digital Vibes tender fallout, Health department director-general Dr Sandile Buthelezi has been placed on precautionary suspension 

On Sunday, health ministry spokesperson Foster Mohale  confirmed Buthelezi’s suspension following a Special Investigating Unit (SIU) report into the alleged tender fraud. Deputy DG Dr Nicolas Crisp will take over as acting DG until the completion of Buthelezi’s hearing process. Buthelezi had previously been on leave.

Mohale said that while the R150m Digital Vibes communications contract was already secured when Buthelezi assumed the DG role, it was his inaction in his role as heady of accounting authority regarding the contract that led to the suspension, said Mohale. 

The tender process was rife with irregularities, involving fictitious companies and doctoring scores of bidding companies.

“The procurement process was … a sham, designed and conducted to reach the predetermined result that Digital Vibes would be appointed,” lead investigator Rajendra Chunilall said in the SIU’s founding affidavit.

Former health director-general Precious Matsoso told the SIU that Tahera Mather, a friend of Dr Mkhize’s and a beneficial owner of Digital Vibes, began work at the department straight after Dr Mkhize’s appointment as minister. Matsotso had been pressured by Dr Mkhize to ensure that Mather was hired. Instead of a public tender for the National Health Insurance (NHI) communications contract as advised by the Treasury, it was issued as a closed tender to ten companies.

Two of these companies did not exist and six of which, including a computer equipment supplier and a graphic design company, did not respond as the tender was out of their scope, according to forensic accountant Hesti le Roux’s investigation.

Mather is also alleged to have created a fraudulent profile for Digital Vibes with the relevant skills and experience, including a fake team some of whom never worked for Digital Vibes and were not paid. 

Due to this rigging, only Digital Vibes and Brandswell responded; the latter had the upper hand as its R69m quote was far cheaper than Digital Vibes’ R141m,

However, the department then inexplicably issued a second RFP, amending the requirements.

Brandswell was “irregularly and irrationally” marked down by the department’s five-member tender evaluation committee (TEC), which included deputy director-general Anban Pillay and head of communications Popo Maja. This was despite Brandswell being a “long-standing and reputable communication solution service provider”, Le Roux said.

“Clearly, the recommendation by the TEC to award the contract to Digital Vibes was invalid in terms of the provisions [of] the constitution, because the procurement process was not fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and/or cost-effective. Therefore, the service level agreement that was concluded with Digital Vibes should be declared invalid,” Le Roux concluded.

Source: Times Live

Categories : General InterestTags :

Suspensions of Top Health Officials are Imminent

On By ModernMedia
Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

An article by the Daily Maverick reveals that a wave of suspensions in the Department of Health are impending as a result of the investigation into the Digital Vibes contract, which prompted the resignation of Dr Zweli Mkhize.

Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla said that he received a letter from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) which he would have to act on. 

Dr Phaahla said that “in the next few days and weeks there will unfortunately be some action and that will have some impact also on our capacity as a department”, adding that “when wrong things have happened and investigations have led to findings, then people have to be held answerable”.

However, Dr Phaahla said it was regrettable since “it will have an impact on our capacity, because from what I have seen, a number of people will have to be on suspension, pending charges.” He said it would be difficult for the vaccination programme as management staff were already stretched thin, but “it’s a consequence which must follow”. 

Drs Buthelezi and Pillay denied any knowledge of suspension, though the Daily Maverick has found out that referral for disciplinary action have been sent to the presidency.

The details of the SIU’s investigation have not been made public yet, although the Daily Maverick was able to tease out some details from an affidavit to set aside the Digital Vibes contract and to seeks to reclaim up to R150 million that was paid for the contract.

The affidavit further reveals that Dr Mkhize allegedly pressured the previous Director-General, Precious Matsoso, to employ Tahera Mather to be contracted for communication.

Precious Matsotso was replaced after an unblemished ten years by Dr Anban Pillay, who had been Deputy DG. Dr Pillay then became the active facilitator for the Digital Vibes contract, the affidavit suggests — a matter in which the DIU has also referred to the National Prosecuting Authority.

The current DG, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, who replaced Dr Pillay, is also noted as approving payments to Digital Vibes, though the DIU states it is not seeking any relief against him other than setting aside of relevant agreements.

The situation still has a way to run, with disciplinary inquiries, the Special Tribunal hearing and NPA investigations all ongoing. 

However, the Daily Maverick warns that it is clear that this critical government department is in “freefall” and will not have the capacity to deal with South Africa’s health challenges in the months and years to come.

Source: Daily Maverick