The National Education, Health and Allied Workers’ Union [NEHAWU] is angered by the decision of the National Department of Health to demote senior two officials (Dr Anban Pillay and Popo Maja) implicated in the Digital Vibes scandal after having been found guilty by a disciplinary hearing (link to Pillay vibes story).

As NEHAWU, we are vehemently opposed to this shocking decision to demote the two officials [Deputy Director General and Chief Director] who were found guilty by the disciplinary hearing following the digital vibes scandal which costs taxpayers millions of rands. We expected the department to send a clear message by taking a clear corrective measure as a sign that the department does not tolerate any acts of gross misconduct, corruption and mismanagement of public resources.

We are dismayed that the department can act in such a manner by retaining in their employ the two individuals that have been found guilty in a scandal that not only embarrassed and brought the department in disrepute, but also exposed the rot and malfeasance that had occurred at the peak of COVID-19 when the country needed at its disposal every available resource to fight against COVID-19.

What infuriates us even more is that the department had assured the public that all those implicated and found to have committed wrong would be dealt with accordingly, however the opposite instead has occurred with this decision to demote the two senior officials. This is only a slap in the wrist for the officials and does not send a strong message to society about clean governance and administration of public resources.

Many of our members in the public service in particular the department of health have been charged and dismissed on ridiculous charges that are not even close to this scale of the Digital Vibes corruption scandal yet the department has not acted with the same vigour that it has done on our members.

As NEHAWU, we call on the department to be decisive and act accordingly against the two senior officials found guilty by a disciplinary hearing in the matter relating to the digital vibes corruption scandal.

Lastly, we call on law enforcement agencies to move with speed in prosecuting all those involved in the digital vibes scandal.