R12m of R150m from Digital Vibes Has Been Repaid, Slow Recovery from Illegal Beneficiaries

• The Special Investigating Unit has said that only R12 million has been repaid by illegal beneficiaries of Digital Vibes
• The total sum that needs to be recovered from the Digital Vibes scandal amounts to R150 million
• The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) has received investigative evidence relating to the Digital Vibes scandal

JOHANNESBURG - The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) has announced that only R12 million of the R150 million that was paid to illegal beneficiaries from Digital Vibes has been repaid. The SIU is investigating the case.

Around R22 million is estimated to have been paid from the Nedbank account linked to Digital Vibes to several other bank accounts. This implicates 11 people, for which the SIU acquired an interdict.

Digital Vibes' original contract was to the health department for their 2019 National Health Insurance (NHI) drive. The company is owned by Naadhira Mitha and Tahera Mather, who are associates of Zweli Mkhize, who was the health minister at the time.

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How illegal beneficiaries received Digital Vibes payments

According to News24, two budget applications, worth R132 million, sent to Digital Vibes were approved by Mkhize in connection with the NHI project.

After 6 March, 2020 Digital Vibes was contracted to provide communication services related to the Covid-19 pandemic. On 16 June 2020, over R85 billion was ratified for Covid-19 communications.

Andy Mothibi, the SIU's head advocate, along with his fellow senior leaders, submitted their investigations of Digital Vibes to SCOPA, which is Parliament's watchdog committee.

Reactions to the latest developments in the Digital Vibes saga

@Sisi_Sasha said:

@Lindsay84261863 asked:

"Who benefited and who has paid back the money so far? We all need to know!"

@pdrrmm believes:

"This SIU is useless. All you hear is that SIU is investigating and there's always no end result."

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@PMath69 shared:

@Malakoaneelvis said:

"These people swim in money. My next life I won't be this stupid. I will work for the government all my life, till jail do us part."

@viks0208 shared:

"It's an indoctrinated behaviour of ANC crooks."

@Freddie47011 asked:

"Are there any non-corrupt ANC Cadres?"

Zweli Mkhize's wife, May, implicated in Digital Vibes scandal

Previously Briefly News reported that the allegedly corruptly accumulated lump sum that the family of former health minister Zweli Mkhize received has reached R9 million.

The Digital Vibes scandal sent shockwaves throughout the department and Mkhize's life as skeletons worth millions have shaken loose. However, he has denied any wrongdoing.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that has been sifting through the R150 million contract recently uncovered that Mkhize's wife, Dr May Mkhize, received almost R2 million to pay off a loan.

Source: Briefly News