Former health Minister Zweli Mkhize could still face criminal charges for his role in the awarding of a Digital Vibes communications contract.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said Former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, may have committed acts of criminality and failed to execute his job in line with the constitution by approving budgets for the communications contract to Digital Vibes.

This emerged on Wednesday when the unit briefed the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on the contract.

Mkhize resigned from his position after he was implicated in corruption of Digital Vibes, securing the R150 million communications contract from the Department of Health (DOH), as a result of alleged tender-rigging and other irregularities in the bidding process.

The SIU says Zweli can still be criminally charged for his role in the health department’s awarding of R150 million communications contract to Digital Vibes, for national health insurance (NHI) communications campaign, despite having resigned as minister of health.

This is after the SIU reviewed the contract and declared the procurement process undertaken to award the NHI contract as deeply flawed, unlawful and invalid. They accused the former minister of unlawful and improper conduct in controversial contract.

The unit says both the tender and the bidding process allegedly contravened the Public Finance Management Act.

The SIU head, Advocate Andy Mothibe said the allegations against Mkhize, relates to his failure to execute  function in compliance with the Constitution.