Dr Zweli Mkhize was hailed as principled man for voluntarily resigning as Health Minister although he was not facing any criminal charges. Picture: Nqobile Mbonambi African News Agency (ANA)
Durban — The voluntary resignation of Dr Zweli Mkhize as health minister has led to renewed calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to follow suit and step down pending his Phala Phala farm investigation debacle.
In an interview on SABC, Mkhize told the viewers that he felt he should resign from the portfolio to avoid a conflict of interest after he was implicated in the Special Investigation Unit report on the Digital Vibes tender, which was fraudulently awarded.
The former ANC treasurer-general said he did not want to fight the report using state resources, and also felt since he was going to cite the president in an application for a review, he felt it would not be prudent for him to fight his own battles while still serving in the Cabinet.
After the interview, Twitter was abuzz with comments, people comparing Mkhize’s scenario with that of President Ramaphosa. Many hailed Mkhize as a principled man who never waited to be asked or forced to leave, but decided to quit on his own.
People asked why Ramaphosa could not resign like Mkhize, since they were both implicated in corrupt activities. In their comparisons they argued that there was no difference between Mkhize and Ramaphosa, since both were not charged but implicated in scandals, and asked why Ramaphosa never felt he should do the same.
Another similarity raised by Twitter users was the issue of the leaders’ family members who were found to have benefited from government tenders.
They were referring to the revelation this week that Ramaphosa’s relative, Morgan Maumela, had scored tenders worth close to R400million from the Gauteng Health department.
Mkhize’s family were also said to have benefited from the Digital Vibes tender. Previously, Ramaphosa said he would wait for the law enforcement agency to finish its investigation, thereby dismissing calls for him to step down.
In terms of the ANC’s step-aside rule, a member has to be criminally charged before being affected by the policy, but some people believe that the seriousness of the allegations does not augur well for the head of state, and they feel that even though he has not been charged, he should have voluntarily stepped aside and allowed the investigation to continue.
Judging by the branch nominations so far, Mkhize and Ramaphosa are the most visible leaders expected to go toe to toe for the president’s position at the much-anticipated ANC elective conference in December.
With backing from their provinces, both leaders stand a good chance of winning the race to the presidency in Luthuli House, and eventually to the country’s highest office as well.
Mkhize’s chances are also boosted by the large number of delegates coming from his home province of KZN.
Daily News