Calls are being made by the EFF and DA for President Cyril Ramaphosa to fire Health Minister Zweli Mkhize over an alleged corruption scandal in ties with Digital Vibes.
Ramaphosa’s presentation of the Presidency’s budget in the National Assembly largely saw him speak about what needed to be done to achieve a capable and developmental state. He outlined that these goals could be realised once corruption is defeated as reported by City Press.
However, in light of Mkhize’s current alleged corruption scandal, opposition parties found the matter to be ironic and were vocal in their severe disappointment toward the matter’s handling.
Allegations pertained to the looting of state funds by the hands of Mkhize’s associates.
The DA’s Dean Macpherson asked Ramaphosa: “Are you comfortable with having a health minister who is accused, along with his family, of benefiting from an irregular Digital Vibes contract?”
Digital Vibes was allegedly allocated a R150 million contract to do public relations work for the Department of Health.
Ramaphosa made a plea for patience, indicating that he had already spoken to Mkhize regarding the allegations. “What I can say to South Africans is that I am dealing with this matter and there is full co-operation from the minister.” However the pleas for patience were refused by the EFF and DA.
Julius Malema in a rebuttal communicated that the ANC government had mismanaged the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out which put millions of lives at risk.
He also accused the ANC of:
- Over dependency on western countries for resources and
- being “obsessed with transactions over saving lives.”
“You will be a president that has failed to rescue our people when they needed you. Like in Marikana when our people needed you, you were not there for them,” Malema added.
The DA’s Dean Macpherson was equally vocal about his disappointment, expressing that the ANC leaders were the real pandemic and that Ramaphosa had failed the biggest challenge of his presidency.
“Instead of procuring vaccines, your comrades were obsessed with stealing money meant for jabs. They were the real pandemic in South Africa,” said Macpherson.
“You have remained silent on the biggest test of your leadership – that is the alleged corruption involving Health Minister Zweli Mkhize and Digital Vibes.”
The president said appropriate action would be taken when the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) probe into the Digital Vibes contract was complete.
Picture: Twitter