Digital Vibes

Digital Vibes (Pty) Ltd was a South African communications company that functioned as a front for two close associates of former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize — used to capture approximately R150 million in National Department of Health (NDOH) contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic and the National Health Insurance rollout. Its nominal director was Radha Hariram, a petrol station employee who had no meaningful role in the business. The real controllers were Tahera Mather, Mkhize’s long-time strategic communications advisor and spin doctor, and her niece Naadhira Mitha, who had served as Mkhize’s personal assistant when he was Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (2014–2018). Neither Mather nor Mitha disclosed their pre-existing relationship with Mkhize or their control of Digital Vibes during procurement. The scandal is significant not only as a case of COVID-era procurement fraud but as the event that ended Mkhize’s political career and removed the figure most likely to challenge Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC presidency in 2022.

The contracts were of two types: an NHI media campaign contract and COVID-19 health communications contracts, awarded by the NDOH in 2020–2021. Total value: approximately R150 million. Pieter-Louis Myburgh of Daily Maverick’s Scorpio investigative unit broke the story on 23 February 2021 — the first report revealed that Mather had been scoring payments as a consultant to Digital Vibes, an obscure company holding a lucrative NDOH communications contract. Subsequent reports traced the money flows in detail: approximately R60 million was channelled to Mather, Mitha, and their family members; Mkhize’s son Dedani received cash that was used to set up a hair salon; his daughter-in-law Sthoko received funds for an upmarket nail bar; luxury goods were purchased on Digital Vibes corporate bank cards; and Digital Vibes declared no company tax on its R150 million income. The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) later confirmed every material finding Myburgh had reported.

The SIU’s 101-page report (September 2021) was categorical: the contracts were “irregular, unlawful and invalid.” Mather and Mitha had “committed fraud by using Digital Vibes as a front to hide the fact that they were tendering for the NHI media campaign contract and ‘disguised’ that they were close associates of Mkhize.” Both had contravened the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) by paying and receiving gratifications derived from the unlawful tender award. Seven senior NDOH officials were implicated for misconduct. The SIU referred Mkhize, Mather, Mitha, and associates to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for possible criminal prosecution in July 2021. Mkhize resigned as Health Minister in August 2021 after President Cyril Ramaphosa accepted his resignation, having initially allowed him to take a leave of absence to “cooperate with investigations.” Mkhize denied that he or his family had personally benefited; the SIU report proved otherwise in detail.

Civil recovery proceedings through the Special Tribunal sought to hold Digital Vibes, Mather, Mitha, Mkhize, Hariram, and Welcome Mthethwa (husband of former ANC staffer Makhosazana Mthethwa) jointly and severally liable for the full R150 million. The proceedings generated significant developments in 2025. In August 2025, the Special Tribunal admitted a PwC supplementary affidavit as new evidence — alleging money laundering and identifying additional Mkhize family members as beneficiaries of Digital Vibes funds. In September 2025, the Tribunal dismissed Mkhize’s application to stay the SIU proceedings pending his High Court review of the SIU report. By December 2025 Mkhize was challenging the refusal on constitutional grounds, arguing that the dismissal of his stay violated his rights. As of April 2026, the Special Tribunal civil recovery case remained ongoing and no criminal charges had been filed — a lapse of nearly five years since the NPA referral. The Daily Maverick’s two-year retrospective (February 2023) noted: “Daily Maverick reports and the SIU’s filings at the Special Tribunal represent an abundance of information and evidence that’s been readily available to the Hawks and the NPA.”

The political dimension of Digital Vibes runs deeper than procurement fraud. Mkhize had been one of three candidates for the ANC presidency at the Nasrec conference in December 2017; he withdrew before the final vote in what was understood as a deal that secured him the Health Ministry under Ramaphosa. Had he survived the Digital Vibes scandal, he would have been positioned to contest the 2022 ANC presidential election against Ramaphosa or as a leading candidate for ANC national leadership. The scandal removed him entirely — by May 2021 he had been suspended from ANC activities, and no ANC disciplinary charge was ever completed. The contrast between the speed of Ramaphosa’s acceptance of Mkhize’s resignation over the Digital Vibes scandal and the retention of Gwede Mantashe and Nomvula Mokonyane despite Zondo Commission prosecution referrals was noted by political commentators as evidence of factional rather than principled accountability within the Ramaphosa presidency.

Connections

• Zweli Mkhize — Health Minister 2019–2021; directly benefited via family; resigned August 2021; civil recovery respondent; SIU NPA referral; no charges April 2026; removed as Ramaphosa presidential rival
• Cyril Ramaphosa — Health Minister deployed under Ramaphosa; Ramaphosa accepted resignation August 2021; contrast with retention of Zondo-referred ministers illustrates factional accountability ceiling; 2022 ANC election path cleared by Digital Vibes fallout
• Special Investigating Unit (SIU) — led investigation; September 2021 report (101 pages); R150m civil recovery at Special Tribunal; new PwC evidence admitted August 2025; stay dismissed September 2025
• National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) — received NPA referral July 2021; no prosecution as of April 2026; five-year accountability gap alongside Bosasa, Phala Phala, and SSA strands
• ANC Deployment Committee — Mkhize deployed as Health Minister via Deployment Committee process; digital Vibes scandal is a case study in deployment-without-accountability: minister placed by committee, enriches network, removed only after press exposure
• FATF Greylist — COVID-era procurement fraud (including Digital Vibes) cited as contributing to SA’s Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism failures; one of the evidence categories in the 2023 greylisting
• NPA Prosecution Pipeline — Digital Vibes NPA referral (July 2021) stalled at Stage 2–3; no IDAC investigation announced as of April 2026; civil recovery via Special Tribunal proceeding in parallel
• Zondo Commission — Digital Vibes post-dated most Zondo hearings and falls outside the commission’s core DCS/SOE/Gupta scope; SIU rather than Zondo drove the accountability process; the accountability gap mirrors the Zondo non-prosecution pattern

Sources

• Daily Maverick (Scorpio/Myburgh) — “Digital Vibes scandal: the story behind the story” (October 2021)
• SIU Report — “Digital Vibes contracts irregular, unlawful and invalid” (September 2021)
• Daily Maverick — SIU R150m civil recovery application (March 2022)
• Daily Maverick — “Lest we forget: Digital Vibes, two years on” (February 2023)
• IOL — “New evidence reveals shocking details in R150m Digital Vibes case” (August 2025)
• IOL — “SIU case over R150m Digital Vibes contract to go ahead” (September 2025)
• News24/City Press — “Zweli Mkhize challenges SIU probe amid Digital Vibes scandal” (December 2025)