Johannesburg – While the Presidency has asked for more time to clarify its position on reports that Presidential spokesperson Khusela Diko has been reinstated with a warning, opposition parties said this was surprising.
Diko has been on leave of absence from both her roles in the Presidency and in Government communications.
She was implicated in a personal protective equipment (PPE) tender saga that cost multi-million-rands, involving her late husband, Chief Madzikane Diko.
Diko will be reinstated but would not resume her duties as the president’s spokesperson as she is still on maternity leave.
The DA’s Solly Malatasi said that Diko’s protracted leave and current sanction was a slap on the wrist.
“It does seem like she was given a soft-landing because the SIU investigation hasn’t been concluded in terms of the court proceedings that exonerated her from any wrongdoing,” said Malatsi.
Congress of the People (Cope) said that it felt vindicated because it wrote off an investigation into Diko’s role in the Gauteng Health PPE contracts.
“This investigation was just a smokescreen and nothing will come from it. It is disgusting that not a single person is in prison for the PPE corruption. Cope demands that President Cyril Ramaphosa publish the SIU report,” said spokesperson Dennis Bloem.
