Health Minister Zweli Mkhize was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier on Tuesday.
The announcement comes after Mkhize received intense scrutiny after details were brought to light regarding the Digital Vibes contract scandal. The company, which is allegedly run by two of Mkhize’s close associates, may have seen the Minister and his family benefit from a R150 million tender. The contract was subsequently flagged by the Auditor-General as potentially wasteful spending, as reported by EWN.
In a statement released by the presidency on June 8, Mkhize was apparently placed on special leave in order “to attend to allegations and investigations concerning contracts between the Department of Health and a service provider, Digital Vibes.”
Speaking to the media on Tuesday during a visit to health facilities in the Northern Cape, the Minister stated that he was not attempting to avoid questions and guaranteed his full cooperation with the SIU investigation into the multi-million Rand contract. According to ENCA, he went on to say that he “takes full responsibility for the outrage.”
According to the statement by Ramaphosa, Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane will serve as the acting Health Minister.
Picture: Cape Town ETC Gallery
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