Today in the parliamentary portfolio committee on Health, the FF Plus strongly insisted that Parliament must summon the Minister of Health, Zweli Mkhize, to appear before the committee to account for the Digital Vibes scandal.
This was in response to the meaningless report that the Director-General of Health, Dr Sandile Buthelezi, submitted to the committee about the Digital Vibes contract.
The FF Plus insisted that the portfolio committee must send a report on the matter to the Speaker of Parliament, in terms of Parliamentary Rule 167(a), to request that Mkhize must be subpoenaed to appear before the committee.
The Speaker will then have to consult with the chief whips of all the parties represented in Parliament and if there exists consensus, the Speaker must have a summons to appear before the committee served to Mkhize by a messenger of the court.
In terms of this Parliamentary Rule, a portfolio committee can, in accordance with the Constitution, relevant legislation and other provisions of parliamentary prescripts, instruct any person to appear before it to give evidence under oath or affirmation or to submit documents.
The FF Plus also made it very clear that the acting Minister, Ms Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, is in no way capable of providing information about the matter to the committee and that there is only one person who can answer the questions about Digital Vibes and that is Zweli Mkhize himself.
The FF Plus, furthermore, pointed out to the committee that Parliament's legal division had stated in a report issued on the 6th of June already that the committee has a constitutional duty, in terms of Sections 55(2) and 92(2) of the Constitution, to hold the Minister accountable.
The ANC once again resisted the idea of taking that course of action. However, the FF Plus will continue to insist that Mkhize himself must appear before and answer to the committee regarding the allegations against him.
;
