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The Special Investigating Unit says it will continue its investigation into the infamous R150 million Digital Vibes communications contract.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa released the unit’s report into the awarding of the contract by the National Department of Health.

The corruption busting unit found that the awarding of the National Health Insurance (NHI) and COVID-19 communications contracts to Digital Vibes was “fraudulent, irregular”.

SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the unit will be engaging more work regarding the contract.

“We can … say that the investigation is still continuing because we are now looking at further evidence that came to our attention after we have given the report to the president,” Kganyago said.

He added that the SIU has approached the Special Tribunal to have the contract set aside to ensure that any money acquired illegally is returned to state coffers.

“We … want to make sure that all the R150 million that was spent irregularly should be taken back to the department of health. Secondly, we have made referrals to the department and that has resulted, among others, with the suspension of [National Health Director General Dr Sandile Buthelezi] and we are having seven other people who need to be dealt with in terms of disciplinary hearings,” Kganyago said.

He said criminal prosecutions are also being considered by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

“We have also sent referrals to the [NPA] in terms of the criminality that we have found. We hope that all of this will be dealt with speedily,” Kganyago said.

The Special Investigating Unit has found that the awarding of the infamous National Health Insurance (NHI) and COVID-19 communications contracts to Digital Vibes was “fraudulent, irregular” and “made a mockery of purported approved supply chain management” deviations that are allowed for government departments.

This was revealed in a report drawn up by the SIU following an investigation into the R150 million worth of contracts and service level agreements (SLAs) entered into between the National Department of Health (NDOH) and Digital Vibes.

The report was released by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday morning.

“[T]he procurement processes … were irregular and the subsequent contracts and/or SLAs … was/were void. In this regard, irregular expenditure amounting to approximately R150 million and fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to approximately between R72 million and R80 million was incurred by the NDOH,” the SIU said.

In the report, the unit said it had found wrongdoing on the part of, amongst others:

• Then Acting Health Director General, Dr Anban Pillay, in the irregular appointment of Digital Vibes, expanding the mandate of its contract and requesting late approval from National Treasury for a deviation from regular supply chain channels.
• Former Health Minister, Dr Zwelini Mkhize, for allegedly benefitting from repairs done at his home by Digital Vibes. His son is also alleged to have received R300 000 from Digital Vibes plus R160 000 paid towards the purchase of a car for him.
• Digital Vibes and its owners for alleged fraud, paying of gratifications and failing to declare and pay company tax and VAT to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and contraventions of several acts in the combatting of corruption.
•  A host of other National Health Department officials and other private individuals for their role in the scandal.

Findings against Mkhize

The report said evidence suggested that former health Minister Mkhize “mislead” the President and the nation when he denied that he or his family benefitted from the Digital Vibes deal.

“This denial was, objectively speaking, untrue, as the Minister’s son and the Minister himself had directly benefitted from Digital Vibes. The Minister indicated that he was at that stage not aware that he himself (via his property) or his son had benefitted in this regard and had been telling the truth as he knew it to be. However, the fact remains that the Minister’s denial was misleading to the public at large and the President,” the SIU said.

The unit further stated that it had found that he had gone against a cabinet memorandum instructing the GCIS (Government Communication and Information System) to drive the NHI media campaign and chided Dr Mkhize for approving the appointment of Digital Vibes to drive COVID-19 awareness campaigns despite a National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) decision to task GCIS to drive those campaigns.

“A Cabinet Memorandum…indicated that the GCIS would be responsible for the rollout of the NHI communication strategy. In the circumstances, it is astonishing that the Minister thereafter, contrary to the Cabinet Memorandum, allowed Digital Vibes to be appointed … in respect of the NHI media campaign. In fact, it can be argued that the Minister deliberately ignored a Cabinet decision.

“[T]he GCIS was again tasked…to do the COVID-19 awareness campaign for Government. Once again, it is inexplicable as to why the Minister would have allowed the ‘extension’ of the Digital Vibes SLA…to include the COVID-19 media campaign. It would have been far more cost-effective if the GCIS had rendered the required services,” the report said.

Former acting Health DG faces possible criminal prosecution

In the report, the SIU recommended that former Acting Director General of the NDOH during the COVID-19 media campaign and the NHI communications campaign, Dr Anban Pillay, be “criminally prosecuted for financial misconduct”.

“Dr Pillay was also one of, if not the main actor(s) within the NDOH who, by way of a SCM deviation…attempted to irregularly appoint Digital Vibes…for the provision of goods and/or services relating to allegedly urgent strategic communication solutions in respect of the NHI media campaign,” the unit said.

According to the unit, Dr Pillay was allegedly “one of the main actors” in a decision to make a closed tender process with only ten bidders chosen for the original NHI communications contract awarded in 2019.

Most of those chosen companies offered services that were either inappropriate or were not registered on government’s Central Supplier Database.

The only company who vied for the tender against Digital Vibes was communications company Brandswell which offered their services at more than half of the R141 million quoted by Digital Vibes.

“The TEC [Technical Evaluation Committee] of the NDOH disqualified Brandswell’s tender as it purportedly only had achieved a score of 59.2%, and not the minimum score of 60% functionality assessment. Digital Vibes received a 100% score from all the TEC members with regard to the functionality assessment. Brandswell was again in this manner irregularly and incorrectly disqualified from the NHI tender evaluation process,” the report said.

Dr Pillay was a member of the TEC at the time.

The unit also recommended disciplinary processes be instituted against him for gross misconduct, gross dereliction of duty and/or gross negligence.

Digital Vibes and its owners

The SIU also picked out the directors of Digital Vibes, Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha and its owner Radha Hariram for wrongdoing.

“Mather and … Mitha committed fraud in that they held out to the NDOH that Digital Vibes was tendering for the NHI media campaign contract, whereas in fact, [they] used Digital Vibes as a front in order to hide the fact that they were tendering for the contract and ‘disguised’ this, due to the fact that they were close associates of … [Mkhize], who was the Executive Authority of the NDOH,” the report said.

The unit said the three had also contravened at least two corruption busting laws.

“Digital Vibes… (at the instance of the Minister), direct family members of the Minister, former associates of the Minister and family members of former associates of the Minister contravened the provisions of section 3 read with sections 24 and 26 of the [Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act] in that they paid and received gratifications received gratifications resulting from the fact that the NDOH had irregularly and unlawfully awarded contract(s) to Digital Vibes.

“Furthermore, Digital Vibes… (at the instance of the Minister), contravened the provisions of section 2 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act [related to money laundering],” the report found.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says the provincial government is redoubling efforts to provide water and other basic services including electricity, sanitation, roads and internet access.

Zikalala was addressing scores of community members during an engagement at Mzwandile Mhlawuli Sportfield in uMzumkhulu.

The Premier launched a water master plan and borehole intervention programme aimed at alleviating water shortage in rural communities.

On Tuesday, Zikalala inspected and commissioned a borehole at KwaSkeyi, a rural community in Highflats. The Premier also drank the clean water flowing out of the borehole during the launch of the province’s Water Master Plan and Borehole Intervention Programme.

The provincial government said the water master plan spells out the water related challenges and outlines the short, medium- and long-term solutions.

As part of the medium-term measures, the provincial government – through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs – has built 250 boreholes in six districts, namely Amajuba, uMkhanyakude, Zululand, uMzinyathi, uThukela and Harry Gwala.

“We are pleased that the launch of these production boreholes and production pumps occurs as we conclude Public Service Month and Heritage Month. This is a testament to government’s commitment to fulfil the constitutionally enshrined right to water, which is guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.”

Zikalala said government has a keen interest in ensuring that everyone, especially those in rural communities, also taste the full benefits of freedom by ensuring that they receive basic services like water and decent sanitation.

“Water is life. It is a precious resource we cannot survive without. We cannot grow the economy and create employment without it. It is necessary for agriculture and is always at the heart of economic development. With the advent of COVID-19, we also saw water becoming central in fighting the pandemic, which first announced itself in KwaZulu-Natal in March 2020 (sic).

“Our prevention strategy for arresting the spread of the infectious virus has been based on strict hand hygiene by washing hands regularly,” Zikalala said.

Other major water projects in KwaZulu-Natal include the uMshwathi Bulk Water Scheme (BWS) launched in November 2020 at a cost of R500 million; the Lower uMkhomazi BWS, Umgeni Water, which is estimated to be completed in 2023; the Cwabeni Project, which will be completed in 2022, and Stephen Dlamini Dam, estimated to be completed in 2023.

Zikalala said once completely developed, the uMkhomazi Water Project will be the largest water transfer scheme in South Africa, at an estimated total cost of R23 billion.

“The water master plan is one of the clearest indications by our government of our commitment to building better communities by delivery that is tangible, demonstrable and measurable. This provincial water master plan lays out all the facets of that requirement and will be a test of our mission to build a capable developmental State, which adequately addresses the needs of our people in its delivery of quality, sustainable services. The plan will require no less than R150 billion in the next 10 to 15 years,” the Premier said.

Zikalala was joined by the MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Ravi Pillay; MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, Bongi Sithole-Moloi; MEC for Social Development, Nonhlanhla Khoza; MEC for Health, Nomagugu Simelane; MEC for Human Settlements and Public Works, Jomo Sibiya; Provincial House of Traditional Leaders chairperson, Inkosi Phathisizwe Chiliza and local leadership.

In response to recent media reports on high rates of learner pregnancy across the country, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu in collaboration with Lulwazi Lwethu and Kwanele Foundation will today embark on an outreach programme targeting high school learners in Delft, Western Cape.

The purpose of the dialogue is to create awareness around rape and sexual violence, encourage open discussion and effective community supportive networks for adolescents within the context of the National Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Framework Strategy.

The outreach programme forms part of build-up activities for the Social Development Month on 1 October.

The department says that the recent SAPS crime statistics show that Delft, which is one of the 30 gender-based violence and femicide hotspots, recorded the highest incidents of rape in the first quarter of 2021/2022.

“The intersection between gangs, drugs and gender-based violence means that rape and sexual violence has a daily presence in the life space of many learners who live in the area,” the department said.

During the outreach, Minister Zulu will also donate educational toys to local Early Childhood Development (ECD) facilities, face masks and sanitary towels to learners.

The Minister will hold a dialogue with learners at Rosendaal High School, in Delft.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised the release of the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) report into Digital Vibes.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa has authorised publication of the final report of the Special Investigating Unit into the National Department of Health’s awarding of a National Health Insurance media campaign and subsequent COVID-19 communications to Digital Vibes,” said the Presidency on Wednesday.

The President received a report and referral on the Digital Vibes matter from the Special Investigating Unit in early July 2021.

“The Presidency subsequently sent third-party notices to all persons or entities referred to in the report, so they could have an opportunity to object to its publication or part thereof. This was done in the interest of fairness and in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), following a number of PAIA applications by persons and parties who wished to have sight of the report,” it said.

In June, the SIU was granted a preservation order to freeze approximately R22 million held in bank and investment accounts linked to Digital Vibes (Pty) Ltd. The Special Tribunal granted the order on 17 June 2021.

This is as part of taking action against those implicated in corruption, maladministration and malpractice, in the matter involving the national Department of Health and the communication firm.

This also includes entities/individuals, who received payments from Digital Vibes, which is at the center of, inter alia, a COVID-19 media campaign contract that was awarded to it by the department.

Police have instituted a 72-hour activation plan for the mobilisation of resources in search of those who shot and killed three young women execution-style at Khayelitsha on Monday evening.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), reports from the scene indicate that residents at the TT Block informal settlement recall hearing gunshots after 20:00.

“A few minutes later the bodies of young women aged 17, 20 and 21 were discovered in a passage between the shacks. The victims had all been shot in their heads,” the Western Cape police explained.

As investigations into the murders continue, SAPS said the motive for the shooting incident is yet to be determined.

Anyone with information about the incident that could assist the police investigations is urged to contact the police on Crime Stop 08600 10111 or submit information via the MySAPS app.

According to the statement, the information received will be handled in strict confidence.

South Africa has administered 16 999 722 doses of COVID-19 jabs as of Monday evening, the Department of Health said.

The tally includes the two-dose Pfizer vaccine as well as the single shot of the Johnson & Johnson jab.

According to the latest data, 159 732 vaccines were distributed in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the number of fully vaccinated adults has now gone up to 8 501 712, while 12 268 451 people had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 shot.

In addition, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) logged 578 new COVID-19 infections.

The dashboard shows that the majority of new cases are from KwaZulu-Natal after 126 people were confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Gauteng is trailing behind KwaZulu-Natal with 108 infections, 92 in the Western Cape, 86 in Free State and 50 in the Eastern Cape.

“This increase represents a 3.8% positivity rate,” the NICD added.

This means the country has 2 897 521 laboratory-confirmed cases to date, while the death toll stands at 87 216 after 164 more patients succumbed to the disease.

The NICD confirmed on Saturday that South Africa’s third wave was officially over, as the national seven-day moving average of daily case numbers, positivity rate and testing rate continue to drop, with sustained decreases in all provinces

Meanwhile, the public health institute said 17 588 025 tests have been conducted in both public and private sectors, while 6 931 people are currently hospitalised.

“There has been an increase of 85 hospital admissions in the past 24 hours.”

According to the World Health Organisation, as of 27 September 2021, there have been 231 703 120 reported cases of COVID-19, 4 746 620 deaths and 5 924 819 985 administered vaccine doses.

South Africa and the United Kingdom will today co-host the inaugural Information Communication Technology (ICT) Cyber Dialogue.

According to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the establishment of this discussion arises from the meeting held in January 2020, where issues of particular interest for South Africa were discussed, including areas on connectivity and access, combatting cybercrime, emerging technologies, and peace and security.

It is envisaged that the dialogue will focus on four thematic areas, namely, the threat of information exchange, sustainability and capacity building, standards and regulation and cyber-governance.

The department said the UK has established cyber offices staffed by technical and policy officers in various missions around the world.

“The Africa Cyber Network will be supported by UK cyber officials in Abuja, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa, which forms the corps of their African Cyber Network,” the department said.

Gauteng Public Transport and Roads Infrastructure MEC, Jacob Mamabolo, has strongly condemned the murder of four people in Hammanskraal, in an apparent taxi violence related incident that took place on Sunday.

Police are investigating the shooting incident which left four members of the Simunye Taxi Association dead at the Rainbow Shopping Centre.

It is alleged that two men driving in a white Audi hatchback opened fire before fleeing the scene and no arrests have been made yet.

Mamabolo has called on those who might have leads in the case to come forward and assist the police with the investigation of the gruesome murders.

“We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of the victim of this barbaric crime at the hands of ruthless and blood thirsty criminals. We call on those who may have leads to come forward and assist the police in apprehending those behind the murders.

“We condemn those who orchestrated the murders which have robbed families of their loved ones. These elements are doing the taxi industry a disservice and continue projecting this industry as an inhumane and violent industry,” Mamabolo said.

The MEC has commended the police for launching their 72-Hour Activation Plan to ensure that perpetrators are arrested and that they face the full might of the law.

“We believe that those who continue using violence are becoming isolated in our province as more leaders in the taxi industry reject such barbaric methods in their business. While this incident is disheartening, it will not stop us in our efforts to rid the industry of murders,” Mamabolo said.

The MEC said that the Department of Roads and Transport has adopted an open-door policy that allows taxi operators a platform to raise their concerns without the use of violence.

This is in line with its Growing Gauteng Through Smart Mobility vision which has prioritised support mechanisms to assist the taxi industry to modernise and shed its negative reputation and become sustainable.

The Department of Health on Monday confirmed that the United Kingdom would consider the data provided by South African government scientists in their next review of its red list within 14 days.

This comes after the local government experts had a meeting with their UK counterparts over the red list of high-risk countries.

The island country has tighter travel restrictions in place to reduce the introduction and transmission of new variants of COVID-19 from countries that the UK government says should not be visited “except in the most extreme of circumstances”.

This means that travellers returning to the UK from South Africa must spend 10 days in quarantine at their own expense, even though they are vaccinated.

According to the department, the talks also included the latest trends around COVID-19, testing strategies and the prevalence and risk posed to our vaccination programmes by variants of concern.

The meeting was set up by the UK High Commission and the South African government to ensure the most up-to-date and accurate sharing of information.

“The insights provided will feed into the next review of UK border measures, which is due to take place within the next fortnight,” the statement read.

The UK and local experts also discussed the recognition of each other’s vaccine certificates.

“The UK side explained that, following some initial pilots, it was now seeking to extend its recognition of vaccine certificates around the world as rapidly as possible.”

According to the department’s statement, the UK expressed its willingness to take forward discussions with the SA government on this matter.

Both governments said they support and recognise the importance of vaccination as a way out of the pandemic.

“The UK expressed its gratitude to SA experts for their willingness to share both data and expertise.”