- Disciplinary proceedings of three health officials implicated in allegations related to the awarding of a communications tender, have been concluded.
- The health department said two implicated officials will receive final written warnings and demotions.
- A third official has resigned.
Two senior health department officials implicated in allegations relating to a R150 million communications tender are being demoted - and a third has resigned.
Dr Anban Pillay, Popo Maja and Shireen Pardesi were suspended last year, and an independent senior counsel was appointed to preside over their disciplinary hearings.
The disciplinary hearings were concluded, the health department said on Thursday.
The presiding officer found that Pillay was guilty of one of the four charges he faced, and gave him a final written warning that's valid for 15 months. He was suspended without pay for three months, and the suspension will be followed by a salary level demotion for 12 months.
Maja was found guilty of two of the four charges he faced. He will receive a final written warning that's valid for 12 months. He will also get a salary level demotion for a period of 12 months.
Pardesi was found guilty of one of the two charges against her. She asked to be allowed to resign, to which the parties agreed.
The presiding officer said "all those charged were first-time offenders, and there was no evidence... that they benefitted from the transactions".
Digital Vibes was contracted for communications relating to the country's National Health Insurance (NHI) campaign in 2019, and the work was later expanded to include communications on Covid-19, News24 previously reported.
It is alleged that the communications contract was irregularly awarded to associates of former health minister Zweli Mkhize.
In April, Parliament's joint committee on ethics and members' interests cleared Mkhize of allegations that he benefitted from the awarding of the tender.