The move to put the embattled health minister Zweli Mkhize on special leave was a political chess game to cushion the blow of his departure and to protect his future political moves.
This is a view expressed by political analysts and commentators after President Cyril Ramaphosa placed him on special leave on Tuesday. The announcement came soon after Mkhize’s had addressed a media conference in Kimberley, Northern Cape where he told reporters that he had discussed taking special leave with Ramaphosa in the wake of the Digital Vibes scandal.
Ramaphosa said the period of special leave would enable Mkhize to attend to allegations and investigations concerning contracts between the Department of Health and service provider Digital Vibes.
Tourism minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane will serve as acting minister of health until further notice.
Political analyst professor Tinyiko Maluleke said the special leave was meant to help Mkhize save face.
“He was given an opportunity to break the news of his departure to the public first in order for it not to look like he was forced by the president to leave. This also softens the blow on his career and public perception because it won’t look like he was forced to leave. The president probably told him to make the move first or face the embarrassment of the president making it public first. Kudos to the president but it also makes the minister look like a reluctant 'victim' in this case,” said Maluleke.
Mkhize has been embroiled in the R150m scandal after the Department of Health irregularly awarded a communication contract to Digital Vibes, a company owned by his close associates.
The company is alleged to have inflated its prices. It is also alleged that some of the money paid to Digital Vibes was transferred to Mkhize’s son and some allegedly paid for renovations at one of Mkhize's homes.
He reiterated that he had played no role in the awarding of the contract and that there was no personal benefit in this regard.
Analyst Ralph Mathekga said he had expected Mkhize to throw in the towel as pressure had been mounting on him. “The health department is at the forefront of government’s response to Covid-19 and the government cannot continue with a minister whom, instead of responding to Covid-19, is drawn into a scandal,” said Mathekga.
“It’s a right move for him to take special leave so that he can take this time to consider drafting his resignation letter without pressure. Chances of him being cleared are highly unlikely. He is finished. Let’s be honest, he hasn’t given a stellar performance in the country’s fight against Covid-19. We bungled the acquiring of the vaccine and its rollout, we responded late to some of the Covid-19 waves, we are counted among the top 10 countries with the highest casualties in the world. We can’t go against those facts and start telling the story that he [Mkhize] was a great performer.”
Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA’s general secretary Cassim Lekhoathi said Mkhize's leave will allow the investigations by the SIU to be completed.
Lawson Naidoo, executive director at the Council for the Advancement of the SA constitution, said Mkhize could not continue with his duties with such serious allegations in the public domain.
“The issue is the public trust in the minister. When someone has a cloud hanging over them, public trust diminishes. There is a very important role that the minister plays, particularly in the middle of a pandemic. It is a critical role that requires public confidence,” Naidoo said.
He said Mkhize’s departure might have little affect on the government’s efforts to fight Covid-19.
David Lewis, executive director at Corruption Watch, said: “His [Mkhize’s] credibility was in question. If he had stayed, his ability to deal with Covid-19 would have been seriously undermined if those allegations were proliferated...”
Mkhize confirmed that there had been an inappropriate relationship between his son and one of the Digital Vibes officials. He said his family was “quite unhappy” about the money that was transferred to his son’s account.
“We are quite outraged about this. We are going to sit down and have a conversation on that matter to indicate that the kind of relationship that was involved was inappropriate and that at the end, those funds need to be returned.
“The issue is that it was based on a personal relationship... people have relationships which we are not necessarily aware to what extent they go,” he said. — Additional reporting by Andisiwe Makinana
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.