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President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday authorised the release of the Special Investigating Unit’s (SIU’s) report into the Digital Vibes contract.

The SIU report found that former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize’s department awarded a R150-million contract, in 2019, to Digital Vibes to provide communication services for government’s National Health Insurance (NHI) and, later, its Covid-19 response.

Digital Vibes was linked to aides of Mkhize.

The report indicates that the procurement processes in respect of the NHI and Covid-19 media campaigns, were irregular and the subsequent contracts were void.

Irregular expenditure amounting to about R150-million, and fruitless and wasteful expenditure amounting to between R72-million and R80-million, were incurred by the Department of Health (DoH), according to the findings.

ANBAN PILLAY

The report also revealed that former acting director-general of the DoH Dr Anban Pillay, should be criminally prosecuted for financial misconduct.

“Dr Pillay, in a letter to the National Treasury dated 11 May 2020 where he requested approval to deviate from normal procurement procedures, made numerous material intentional misrepresentations to the National Treasury in an attempt to obtain belated approval to deviate from normal procurement procedures. The obtained evidence indicates that he committed fraud in this regard,” stated the SIU’s report.

It was also revealed that Tahera Mather and Naadhira Mitha, which the report lists as “close associates” to Mkhize, committed fraud.

The report further stated that on July 15, 2019, Mkhize sent a WhatsApp message to former director-general of the department Precious Matsoso telling her to “sort out” the NHI contract with Digital Vibes.

During the relevant period, Digital Vibes also paid R6 720 for repairs at a property belonging to Mkhize.

On May 2, 2020, Digital Vibes transferred R300 000, via a company belonging to Mather, to a company belonging to Mkhize’s son.

The report further revealed that on May 4, 2020, Digital Vibes paid R160 000 to a Pietermaritzburg car dealership for the purchase of a second-hand 2003 Toyota Land Cruiser, registered in the name of Mkhize’s son.

Ramaphosa received the report and referrals on the Digital Vibes matter from the SIU in early July 2021.

In a statement on Wednesday, acting Presidency spokesperson Tyrone Seale said third-party notices were sent to all persons or entities referred to in the report for the 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," the Presidency said.

Download the SIU report here: https://www.polity.org.za/article/siu-digital-vibes-report-2021-09-29

Once a symbol of South Africa and the continent's economic prowess, Johannesburg has now "lost its shine" and has become a shell of what it could be.

Derelict abandoned buildings, the lack of refuse collection, and the skyrocketing levels of crime are some of the reasons Johannesburg is now repelling investors.

These were the sentiments expressed by Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen and the party’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Doctor Mpho Phalatse as the opposition party launched its manifesto for the City of Johannesburg on Tuesday morning.

Phalatse pledged that should citizens vote for the DA in the metro, the party would restore Johannesburg to its former glory of being the economic hub of the country and the continent.

"We will restore that shine through revitalising abandoned buildings. We had started the process of partnering with the private sector during our three years at the helm of the metro from 2016 to 2019. We handed over abandoned buildings to the private sector and turned them around ensuring that there is affordable housing," said Phalatse.

The DA also committed to also revitalising industrial parks in townships and revamping the transport system in an effort to address increasing unemployment figures.

Beyond restoring the shine to the city of gold, the DA pledged to implement six other cardinal pillars at the heart of the party's 2021 local government manifesto.

'Fixing infrastructure'

Steenhuisen spoke at length regarding the DA's desire to refurbish and maintain the city's electricity and water infrastructure.

"Joburg is one of the first cities in the country to have water-shedding while dams are still full. This speaks to an issue of failing infrastructure. There is not enough money being spent on infrastructure and when the DA takes over, there will be a massive investment toward fixing this infrastructure," said Steenhuisen.

Phalatse also added that the DA would put aside R20-billion toward upgrading and maintaining the city's infrastructure and invest "in the future of the city as many still see it as a land of opportunity".

She conceded that the work ahead would not be easy for the DA should it again take over from the ANC as there is "humongous maintenance backlog".

As a result, Phalatse said the DA would need to bring on board private sector stakeholders to partner with the city in ensuring that electricity and water infrastructure are adequately refurbished and maintained as a reliable source of electricity directly resulted in more employment opportunities.

The DA mayoral candidate said that for the DA "to make Johannesburg great again", it would need to first make it "safe again".

"We pledge to provide safe and secure community for all residents through ensuring that the city has an integrated policing system where the SAPS, private sector, and community organisations collaborate to monitoring areas, provide alerts, and share capacity," said Phalatse.

Vulnerable communities

She added that a dedicated prosecution unit would be set up to ensure that criminals are prosecuted after being apprehended instead of finding themselves back on the streets where they could do further damage.

"We will also set up a dedicated anti-land invasion unit to stop land invasion and conduct regular inspections to crack down on illegal building and land use," said the DA mayoral candidate.

Another matter at the top of her party’s agenda was ensuring that where the DA governs, "it shows care to all vulnerable communities".

"We will show this through upgraded old age homes with qualified staff and building more drug treatment centres to combat the scourge and impact of addicts on communities," Phalatse said.

The DA mayoral candidate also committed to building "more local clinics and employing more nurses to provide quality healthcare to patients".

The party also promised to build inclusive societies through development plans that make neighbourhoods "more liveable, enjoyable, and acces...

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola has slammed Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo's application for another extension of the State Capture Inquiry as unconstitutional – and wants the High Court to cap the commission's future costs at R15-million.

In papers filed at the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, Justice and Constitutional Development Director-General, Doctor Mashabane, said Lamola wished to intervene in Zondo's extension application because of the "cost implications" for government. The court application is due to be heard on Wednesday.

"There are no more funds allocated or available from the [Department of Justice and Constitutional Development] for the fifth extension of the Commission," he stated, later revealing that – while the department had asked for additional funding for the commission for the current financial year – "no funding was granted".

Mashabane stressed that Lamola was not opposing Zondo's application for an extension, but regarded the three months that he was seeking as "excessive given the fact that this is the fifth extension" and that the extension had "financial repercussions" for the department. Those repercussions involved the department being forced to cut funding from other programmes to pay the inquiry's costs.

As a result, he said, "an extension of six weeks should be granted for the Commission to finalise its report and recommendations".

"The budget for the extension should be capped at R15-million," Mashabane added.

The inquiry was initially intended to take only six months, but – because of the huge scope of its investigations – was granted a two-year extension of its deadline from 1 March 2018 to 18 February 2020. It then obtained a 13-month extension from 1 March 2020 to 31 March 2021, and subsequently sought and was given an extension of its deadline from 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2021. It obtained a further extension from 1 July 2021 to the end of September 2021.

Zondo has now asked the High Court to grant his commission another three-month extension so it can complete its final report, which will be handed over to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Zondo said this was because of delays in the preparation of first, second and third drafts of the analysis of evidence given by 330 witnesses, over a three-year period.

"When I made the assessment that my team and I should be able to complete the report by the end of September, I did so on the basis of the time I believed it would take to complete the first drafts and the time it would take for us to complete the second drafts and the third drafts," he said in court papers.

"Although some of the first drafts, under different topics, were completed by the end of July, most only got completed in the course of August, and yet some are being completed now in September."

Zondo said one of the people on his team, who was supposed to prepare summaries and analyses of evidence on two topics, became sick and had not been to work for a month, which contributed to the delay.

"For that reason, he has not been able to submit his first drafts. However, he is close to full recovery now and I believe that I will receive his first drafts on the two topics by the end of September or in the first week of October. One of his topics is complex and it would have been difficult to shift it to someone."

But it appears that Lamola and his department are not convinced by that explanation – and, for the first time, are openly questioning whether Zondo has any strategy in regard to how his potentially mammoth report will be finalised.

Mashabane stated in court papers:

"I am advised that, not only should the court be mindful of the cost implications, but that the Deputy Chief Justice has not presented any plan of how he intends to finalise his report over these 90 days."

He also said Lamola was concerned about whether the extension being sought by Zondo was constitutional, given that the inquiry – as an organ of state – was required to act with "fairness, equitability, transparenc...

With a possible Covid-19 fourth wave on the cards, the Solidarity Fund said on Tuesday it is committed to providing support to the Department of Health and provinces through the provision of equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines while ensuring that as many people as possible are vaccinated ahead of the festive season.

The Fund was briefing the media on its Integrated Annual Report for the period from its March 25, 2020 date of incorporation through to February 28, 2021.

Over R3.22-billion in Covid-19 relief has been raised as of the end of the Fund’s first financial year.

To date, a total of R3.44-billion has been raised.

Solidarity CEO Tandi Nzimande highlighted that these additional funds are owing to a further fundraising drive undertaken to fund the Solidarity Fund’s work on the national vaccination campaign.

Of the funds raised for Covid relief, R2.62-billion has been disbursed across three pillars: R1.97-billion to Health Response, R37-million towards the Humanitarian area; and R28-million to Behavioural Change.

Nzimande explained that the remaining funds have been allocated to interventions across the Fund’s pillars that are either in approval stage or in the process of execution.

The Fund’s support of the Covid-19 vaccine programme began with providing the funding for the R283-million down payment for South Africa’s entry into the COVAX programme.

To date vaccine doses received in the second quarter is 1 392 700 and 1 181 700 in quarter three. Doses donated by the US through Covax totalled 10 048 560.

The Fund also provided R50-million funding in support of the Johnson & Johnson Sisonke vaccine implementation study which helped to kickstart the vaccination of health workers early on in the pandemic and ahead of the third wave.

Solidarity Fund health pillar co-lead Dr Gugu Ngubane said the Fund is helping the health department prioritise the uninsured, most vulnerable, hard to reach communities, and districts or communities with low vaccine uptake and coverage.

The fund approved a co-funding contribution of R69-million in partnership with various donors, through a public innovator DGMT, to provide technical assistance and human resource capacitation support to the health department.

Ngubane explained that the fully-equipped and innovative modular solution, comprising of 100 beds, a testing lab and bulk pharmacy will help alleviate pressure on the Eastern Cape health system, especially for the Buffalo City Metro in East London, and help bolster medical services into the future.

SURGE CAPACITY OUTREACH SITES

In anticipation of increased demand, the Solidarity Fund approved funding of R300-million to support the National Department of Health in rolling out additional vaccination sites to meet anticipated demand around the country.

Ngubane highlighted that the sites are aimed at supporting the department in their efforts to address issues of coverage, access and equity in the vaccination programme through fixed, temporary and mobile outreach sites that bring the vaccines directly to underserved communities.

In early July, the Fund supported the health department in running a pilot project at 10 prioritised South African Social Security Agency pay points across seven districts in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, the Western Cape and in the Free State.

Additionally, Ngubane said the Fund anticipates providing support for mobile or roving outreach small sites to improve coverage and access, prioritising rural, semi-urban, townships and any other hard to reach areas are also being activated.

The Fund also approved R68 100 971 in funding towards fire compliance in Block One of the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Hospital, which was recently ravaged by a fire.

Health Portfolio Committee chairperson Dr Kenneth Jacobs said on Monday that the low percent Covid-19 positivity rate indicates that the level of coronavirus transmission relative to the amount of testing is low.

The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) reported that South Africa had exited the third wave, according to the current definition.

The NICD reported 967 new Covid-19 cases in the country, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 2 896 943, which represents a 5% positivity rate.

Jacobs said the 5% positivity rate for Covid-19 infection boded well for the lives and livelihoods of South Africans.

“We are emerging from a very difficult time in South Africa's history. We saw the challenges experienced with coronavirus infections and experienced the passing of many fellow South Africans. We have seen the strain on our healthcare system, our hospitals and on our healthcare workers during the peaks of the three waves,” said Jacobs.

He commended the Department of Health and its leadership for the vaccine roll-out programme.

“The South African nation is a resilient nation and we will be victorious against this virus. Vaccination saves lives. Let us all go and be vaccinated,” added Jacobs.

Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola has appointed Makgothi Samuel Thobakgale as acting national commissioner, his department said on Monday.

He replaces Arthur Fraser.

The public service department confirmed earlier this month that Fraser's contract would not be renewed, adding him to the latest in a long list of directors-general to vacate their positions.

Thobakgale joined the department just over a year ago as the chief deputy commissioner for incarceration and corrections.

Department spokesperson Chrispin Phiri described him as a "hard working, passionate, insightful and knowledgeable public servant".

As government increases its efforts to prevent corruption in the public service, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged on Monday that there was still a long way to go to instil a culture of ethics in the public service.

It was recently revealed that about 17 000 public servants had applied for and received the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress grant meant for South Africans who are struggling financially owing to the pandemic.

Ramaphosa said the “wilful intent” to steal public funds is “unforgivable” and promised that government was increasing its efforts against wrongdoing in the public service.

He referenced the recently launched Public Administration Ethics, Integrity and Disciplinary Technical Assistance Unit which will undertake disciplinary action in cases of misconduct in the public service and refer cases to government’s Anti-Corruption Task Team.

“The unit will monitor the conduct of lifestyle audits of public service employees. Where departments identify corruption and unexplained wealth, the cases will be referred to the South African Police Service. The new unit has already begun its work in earnest, helping to identify public servants involved in cases related to Covid-19 procurement, the special Covid-19 grant and Unemployment Insurance Fund fraud,” Ramaphosa said.

He stressed the importance of institutionalising ethics and integrity in the ranks of the public service revealing that the unit will also set norms and standards on ethics, integrity and conduct.

Over 200 people have been trained as presiding officers and initiators as the unit builds department capacity to discipline those found guilty of misconduct.

“As a number of scandals involving public servants illegally benefiting from the state have shown, the process will be difficult and will take some time. We are nonetheless committed to stay the course. A capable state is the foundation for the attainment of all our national priorities. Without improving accountability and promoting ethical conduct, none can be achieved. The vast majority of our public servants are committed, law-abiding and ethical,” Ramaphosa said.

The South African Reserve Bank has kept the repo rate unchanged at 3.5%, in line with economists' expectations.

During a media briefing on Thursday, Reserve Bank Governor Lesetja Kganyago said that all members of the Monetary Policy Committee were in favour of keeping the repo rate on hold.

According to the central bank, core inflation is revised higher to 3% in 2021, from 2.9% estimated previously. Headline consumer price inflation for 2021 has been revised slightly higher to 4.4%, up from 4.3%.

The bank revised the growth outlook from 4.2% to 5.3%. This is despite the much larger negative effect on output than was previously estimated from the July unrest, explained Kganyago.

"Our revised estimate for third quarter economic growth is -1.2%, compared to the previous -0.5%. Output in the manufacturing sector fell by 8.0% in July alone. Mining was up 4.1%, while land freight transport fell by 5.0% and retail output was down by 11.2%," he noted.

Ahead of the SA Reserve Bank briefing, the Bureau for Economic Research had expected the growth outlook to be raised above 5%.

However, the July unrest is expect to weigh on the economy. "The July events and the pandemic are likely to have lasting effects on investor confidence and job creation, impeding recovery in labour-intensive sectors hardest hit by the lockdowns," Kganyago said.

GDP is expected to grow by 1.7% in 2022 - down from 2.3% estimated previously - and by 1.8% in 2023, down from 2.4% estimated previously.

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has warned South Africans to desist from voting for "smaller parties with no reasonable prospect" of standing toe-to-toe with the African National Congress (ANC), come the local government elections on 1 November.

Steenhuisen made these remarks during a panel discussion held by the party on Thursday in the build-up to its manifesto launch.

He said citizens casting votes for smaller parties only resulted in a situation where there were endless opposition parties unable to tackle the real problem, which was the failings of the ANC in many municipalities across the country.

"Yes, a vote for a smaller party can affect the DA. Let's take for example, a ward where the DA had got a very small majority, but is able to hang on to that seat, then introduce a scenario where these smaller parties are not interested in taking on the ANC, but just want to be an opposition to the opposition, particularly in Gauteng.

"They are not going after the ANC vote, they are trying to weaken the DA and for what purpose, as they won't get enough votes to win the wards resulting in a situation where you end up with an ANC or Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor and one or two councillors from these small parties who are going to sit at the back of the hall for the entire five-year team and do nothing for the same people that voted for them, because politics is a numbers games with only big parties making decisions that will affect communities.

"So, people must be very careful that they are not playing with fire in these elections and voting for a party that has no reasonable chance of making any changes for them. I am warning people in this election: be careful how you vote. Because you could be aiding and abetting the ANC or the EFF by going after the DA and trying to weaken the DA."

The DA leader also revealed that the most glaring change to the DA's manifesto set to be launched on Saturday - compared to those that had preceded it - would be the party's avoidance of playing petty opposition politics and criticising the ANC's shortcomings.

Instead, the DA had chosen to focus its attention on making communities aware of its proven track record in places it had and was currently governing, while also laying out a blueprint on how it could change circumstances for those still under administrations run by the ANC and other parties.

Steenhuisen said, "The manifesto that we will put before South Africans, challenges them not to critique the ANC, but to imagine their town or city in a post-ANC world where the DA is in power."

"The great thing about our offer in this election is we are talking about ourselves; we are talking about our unique selling proposition which is that where we govern, we get things done. Government's own reports, analysis and ratings indexes all prove that where the DA governs, they govern well.

"We want to bring that change to small towns, to cities and metros across the entire country. And the manifesto we will deliver on Saturday is essentially our blueprint of how we will change people's situations in their communities," said Steenhuisen.

He added that the advantage the DA had, was the fact that it was no longer only an opposition party, but a party that governed certain municipalities and metros, meaning it had done an evidence-based exercise and that the party was aware of what had worked where it governed.

This was echoed by DA Head of Policy Siviwe Gwarube who said that having also had the chance to govern in various municipalities across the country "has given us an advantage to highlight those things that we are already putting into practice, meaning we are speaking from experience when we say in order to fix a crisis of this particular nature this is what needs to be done".

"One of the most exciting things for us is to bring our experience to the fore, when dealing with water shortage. South Africa is clarified as a water scarce country and for a voter, there can...

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo called on South Africans who are unable to travel to voting stations on voting day to apply for special votes.

The 2021 local government elections will be held on November 1.

Voters with physical infirmity or disability, or those who will be away from their voting districts on election day, can choose to vote at a voting station or during a home visit.

Applications for special votes opened on September 20 and will close at 17:00 on October 4.

Mamabolo appealed to those who will be working on November 1 – such as police officers, nurses, doctors and members of the media – to apply for special votes.

If the application is approved, this category of voter will cast their ballots at their voting station of registration or at home on October 30 or 31.

On the day of special votes, approved voters must present a green bar-coded Identity Book, a smart Identity Card or a valid temporary identity certificate.