Issued by: Directors-General Finance, State Expenditure, Health
The Offices of Directors-General of Health, State Expenditure and Finance have noted the intention of the Special Investigation Unit led by Judge Heath to institute civil proceedings against the Minister of Health, Dr. Nkosazana Zuma and others flowing from the Sarafina II HIV/AIDS Campaign.
The Departments of Health, State Expenditure and Finance have also noted that they have been cited in the Notice to proceed with civil proceedings by the Special Investigation Unit as plaintiffs against Minister Zuma and other respondents.
The Departments remain committed to the call root out corruption in all its manifestations be it in the private or public sectors. To this end we join our Deputy President Thabo Mbeki in encouraging Judge Heath and his Special Investigation Unit to do everything in its power to help recover whatever government property that may have unlawfully been appropriated regarding the Sarafina II HIV/AIDS campaign.
Yet we are of the view that the Special Investigation Unit has erred in citing our departments as plaintiffs in the matter without due consultations with our respective departments. In this regard, our departments have advised the Special Investigation Unit to remove all reference to our departments as plaintiffs in an action about which we were not consulted.
We are unable to accept the possible legal consequences that may flow from our being plaintiffs in this case, such as cost orders.
For more info contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853
Issued by Directors-General Finance, State Expenditure, Health C/O Communications Division Office of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki P/Bag X955 Pretoria 0001 17 November 1998