Health DG suspension confirms need to make Digital Vibes report public 

27 September 2021

The DA has noted the announcement by the National Department of Health that the current  Director-General, Dr. Sandile Buthelezi, has been placed on precautionary leave due to being implicated in the Special Investigative Unit’s Digital Vibes report.

While this precautionary suspension may be routine in disciplinary matters like this within the department, it is only the tip of the broader iceberg.

Real accountability cannot be dealt with in a piecemeal fashion. There are a number of senior officials within the department who are implicated in this corruption scandal and the Minister of Health, Dr. Joe Phaahla should deal with this matter decisively.

Transparency is needed on who has been implicated and what steps are being taken to hold them to account. Simply assuring the people of South Africa that the matter is being dealt with is not good enough. We have seen many corruption scandals be swept under the carpet within the ANC government and this egregious theft will not be another one. The theft of public money must be dealt with publicly in order to ensure that all those who have been found to have broken the law are held to account.

Dr. Phaahla’s slow pace on this and reluctance to clean out the rot within the top management of NDOH is most concerning.

In addition, this points to the need for the full SIU report into Digital Vibes to be made public. President Cyril Ramaphosa has sat on this report since the 30th of June when the SIU handed over the report to him. The DA submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act Application to gain access to this report. The Presidency requested a 30-day extension which expires today.

The DA will not let this matter go. The principle of accountability is critical in a constitutional democracy. There cannot be one set of rules for the ANC government and another set of rules for everyone else. Those who rob the public of money meant to serve them must be sent to jail.

Issued by Siviwe Gwarube, DA Shadow Minister of Health, 27 September 2021