Former health minister Zweli Mkhize. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize is understood to be preparing to resign from office over the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) probe into an irregular award of a R150-million Covid-19 communications tender to his long-term associate.
The SIU has meanwhile prioritised the investigation. A source close to the investigation told the Mail & Guardian that it was a matter of two weeks before they would hand over a preliminary briefing to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The big guns have been brought on board to ensure this investigation is completed very soon. There are still a number of interviews to be done but the connections are there. More people are volunteering critical information,” the source said.
“The boss will brief the president soon.”
Ramaphosa has indicated that he will not act against Mkhize until the SIU concludes its investigation — most likely by the end of June. However, sources close to Mkhize say he wants to resign as minister.
Mkhize has been under fire over the contract awarded to Digital Vibes, the communications company associated with Tahera Mather, his political associate who ran the media component of his failed 2017 campaign to become ANC president.
Daily Maverick’s investigative news unit Scorpio has exposed a number of payments to or on behalf of Mkhize’s son, Dedani, by Digital Vibes, along with repairs to a Johannesburg house owned by the ZM Trust.
Mkhize has denied any wrongdoing and has said that he has not personally benefited from the contract.
Several sources in the ANC close to Mkhize said that the former KwaZulu-Natal premier and finance MEC had indicated that he would resign, most likely within two weeks.
A senior ANC member who is an ally of Mkhize said: “It is not a matter of if he will resign, it’s a matter of when he will resign.”
“It will happen within the next two weeks. The president has been trying to protect him and convince him not to. He may be swayed against it, but I don’t see it happening.”
The ANC member said Mkhize was “convinced that is what he needs to do” despite the fact that he had not been directly implicated in the scandal as yet.
“What we must also keep in mind is that this affects his son and not him directly. He started talking about resigning when the SIU began its investigation and the department also had its own. He felt he should step aside for the process to be exhausted, but that was shot down,” the Mkhize ally said.
If he did resign, this would put pressure on Ramaphosa’s camp, many of whose members had been implicated in corruption at the Zondo commission and elsewhere.
“It puts everyone under pressure if he resigns. People like [Mineral Resources Minister] Gwede [Mantashe] and [Deputy Finance Minister David] Masondo would also get that pressure because of principle,” he said.
Mantashe, who is also the ANC national chairperson, and deputy state security minister and NEC member Zizi Kodwa are among the Ramaphosa allies who had been identified as having received unlawful gratuities from businesses at the Zondo commission.
Another senior ANC member close to Mkhize said he had “made it known to the president that he wants to resign.”
“Zweli made a mistake of letting the wrong people close to him. He is also not a threat to the president because he does not have ambitions of becoming number one next year,” the ANC member said.
“He is obviously emotional about this because it is now becoming known that his son was involved.”
Ramaphosa’s difficulties in dealing with Mkhize have been compounded by the central role that Mkhize has played in the country’s Covid-19 response, both in leading the medical aspect and in his role in coordinating work across departments and with the international and continental medical communities.
“The president doesn’t want him to resign out of fear of bringing in a replacement so late in the day,” the ANC source said.
“You must remember that Zweli is leading our response to the pandemic. He knows intimately how our health system is coping and speaks to scientists and doctors daily. These are the issues the president has to consider.”
Yet another senior ANC and government source said that Mkhize was likely to resign “in a matter of days.”
“They are struggling to convince him otherwise,” they said.
The Democraticv Alliance (DA) on Wednesday increased the pressure of both Mkhize and Ramaphosa by announcing that it would lay a criminal charge against Mkhize over the Digital Vibes award.
DA health spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube said charges would be laid against Mkhize and health director general Sandile Buthelezi.
“Over and above the SIU probe, a criminal investigation needs to ensue,” Gwarube said.
On Monday, the ANC top five meeting did not discuss the allegations against Mkhize.
(Ace Magashule, who under normal circumstances completes the group of the ANC top six, is suspended.)
A member of the party’s national working committee (NWC) said it was also not likely to take a decision on Mkhize at its next meeting.
“This is not a political situation. Zweli is being targeted because he has been pushing for the government to acquire the Sputnik and China vaccine,” said the NWC member.
“We have not yet discussed this as NWC and I don’t imagine we will. Zweli is senior to most of us. What will most likely happen, much like it did with [former president] Comrade [Jacob] Zuma, is that the matter will be discussed by the officials.”
The NWC member said it was unlikely that Ramaphosa would fire Mkhize.
“Cyril knows not to touch Zweli because it would have too many implications. If he attacks Zweli, then he runs the risk of Zweli turning to the secretary general. He also loses the face of our Covid response,” the NWC member said.
The M&G understands the integrity commission, the ANC elders who evaluate those who bring the party into disrepute, has indicated to deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte that it wants to meet with Mkhize.
On 2 June, during his budget address in parliament, Ramaphosa said he was highly disappointed with the reports about Mkhize, but that he was confident that the organs of state would deal with the matter.
Ramaphosa made no indication he would remove the health minister, who campaigned against him as ANC president in 2017, but collapsed his campaign and joined Ramaphosa’s slate.
The president said it was important to “demonstrate confidence” in the SIU and other entities tasked with corruption and allow them to do their work.
“This informs our approach to recent allegations around the minister of health,” he said.
Ramaphosa said the allegations were “serious and disturbing” and that it was “essential” that they were investigated by the SIU and other “appropriate” investigative entities.
The matter was being dealt with “without delay” and due legal process was being followed, he said.
Ramaphosa said he had had a “discussion” with Mkhize, who was “cooperating fully and completely” in the matter.
“I am dealing with this matter and there is full cooperation from the minister. Let us allow this process to unfold and thereafter we will know what needs to be done,”’ he said.
SIU spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago declined to comment on detailed questions around their investigation.
“The investigation is at an advanced stage and we would not like to compromise it by doing a rolling commentary. We have indicated publicly that we have prioritised it and we are intending to finalise it by the end of June,” Kganyago said.
ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe did not respond to questions from the M&G.
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