NEHAWU statement on the publication of the SIU report on Digital Vibes contract
29 September 2021
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] notes and welcomes the publication of the Special Investigative Unit [SIU] Report on the investigation of the National Department of Health and Digital Vibes contract.
The publication of the report has explicitly detailed the degree of corruption, fraud, maladministration, mismanagement of public funds and elements of money laundering that took place as a result of the irregular awarding of the digital vibes contract by the National Department of Health.
The report has revealed that the awarding of the contract resulted into irregular expenditure amounting to approximately R150 million and fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to approximately between R72 million and R80 million incurred by the National Department of Health.
As NEHAWU, we find it repugnant that the department squandered millions of rand that could have been properly channeled towards ensuring that healthcare workers were provided with the necessary resources in their fight against COVID-19. However, the department opted to waste millions for political-connected individuals whilst healthcare workers were succumbing to the pandemic as a result of the lack of proper and sufficient resources.
This digital vibes contract scandal is a serious indictment against the National Department of Health and the Government in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic and also the fight to combat corruption and promote good governance.
The national union calls on the national department of health and government to urgently implement the recommendations of the SIU report which amongst others include instituting disciplinary action against the mentioned officials of national department of health.
Lastly, we call on the National Prosecuting Authority [NPA] to institute criminal prosecutions for all those involved in the squandering of public funds as per the recommendations of the report.
Issued by Zola Saphetha, General Secretary, NEHAWU, 29 September 2021
