A group of African National Congress (ANC) activists, known as the Strategic Dialogue Group (SDG) has called on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to immediately refer charges against those found to have acted unethically and illegally in the awarding of the tender for, and everyone who unduly benefitted from, the Digital Vibes contract.

On Wednesday President Cyril Ramaphosa 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.

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

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

The SDG noted and welcomed the report, saying the Digital Vibes scandal is one of the most “repugnant episodes in post-apartheid corruption” perpetrated by some civil servants and public representatives.

“The ruinous effects of their misdeeds on the health system and the public sector in its entirety are incalculable. While the criminal justice system acts, as it must, against the wolves and their friends, society and the African National Congress should engage in a national dialogue about a post-state capture covenant intended to institutionalise probity in the public sector and to socialise the attributes required for those who make themselves available for public office, among others,” the SDG said.

The SDG stated that Ministers and Deputy Ministers appointed by the President should be subjected to Confirmation Hearings in Parliament, with the participation of civil society.

Meanwhile, the group commended the work of the SIU in the fight against corruption.