THE Special Tribunal has ruled in favour of the Special Investigating Unit in its bid to add more companies to its efforts in recovering more than R150 million from the tender awarded to Digital Vibes by the National Health Department.
The SIU’s application to the tribunal sought to add more companies in its legal bid to recover funds which were allegedly paid to companies linked to former health minister Zweli Mkhize, relatives and his close associates from Digital Vibes.
The companies ordered to pay back the money are All-Out Trading for R1 090 000, Tusokuhle Farming for R1 255 000, Cedar Falls Properties for R1 888 727 and Sirela Trading for R 586 272 and individual Sithokozile Mkhize for R 650 098.
On 19 October 2021, the SIU instituted the present joinder application seeking to join the proposed respondents to recover from them monies that allegedly flowed from the National Department of Health through Digital Vibes.
Special Tribunal spokesperson Selby Makgotho said the ruling was binding.
“Having set out the case and having argued the merits thereof the special tribunal found that there was merit in that instance and as such it has granted an order and to that effect the SIU has been given until the 21 April 2022 to file in their amendment papers in the notice of motion to include the amount they seek to recover from the proposed respondents. This is a court order and any other failure by parties to carry the court order has its own sanctions and whoever disregard it will be held in contempt.”
Mkhize resigned from cabinet last year after being implicated in the irregular awarding of the contract to Digital Vibes that was linked to people he worked with when he was still the minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
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