AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER
FOUR days after South African president Cyril Ramaphosa spoke tough on corruption in the multi-billion package to provide COVID-19 material, his spokesperson has taken a leave of absence in the face of a procurement scandal.
Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko has temporarily left her job following allegations that her husband’s company got an R125-million tender to provide personal protection equipment in Gauteng. Diko and her husband Thandisizwe, have denied the allegations.
A statement from the presidency said: “The Spokesperson to the President, Khusela Diko, has requested the Presidency to allow her to take leave of absence from all official roles in government, pending investigations on recent allegations involving her and her husband in tender irregularities in the Gauteng Department of Health.
“The Minister in the Presidency, who is her immediate supervisor, as well as the President of the Republic, has accepted her request for leave of absence whilst the allegations are being investigated. The Presidency has appointed Tyrone Seale to act in the position of spokesperson to the president whilst Diko is on leave.”
