The Presidency on Tuesday said its suspended spokesperson, Khusela Diko, underwent a disciplinary hearing and was found guilty of “failure to disclose her interests in certain companies”.
Innuendos that Diko may have been involved in personal protective equipment tender corruption were untrue as she was cleared of any wrongdoing in that regard.
Last year in June, Diko took “leave of absence” following allegations of her husband Amabhaca King Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko’s involvement in an alleged R125 million personal protective equipment corruption tender scandal.
Amid the probe, Diko’s husband Thandisizwe Diko II died after a short illness in February this year. He was 43 when he passed away.
Earlier this year, in May, the ANC National Disciplinary Committee cleared Diko of wrongdoing regarding personal protective equipment corruption. She, however, remained suspended.
The Presidency on Tuesday said it had completed a disciplinary process against Diko “for her failure to disclose her interests in certain companies as required by public service regulations on the disclosure of financial interests”.
Following the disciplinary process, Diko has been served with a written warning for this offence, said the Presidency.
“The action taken by the Presidency management was in compliance with a recommendation by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that Ms. Diko be disciplined for her failure to disclose certain interests,” said a statement attributed to the Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele.
“This recommendation arose from an SIU investigation into the government’s procurement of Covid-19 personal protective equipment.”
Gungubele said Diko, who is currently on maternity leave, will not return to her previous position as spokesperson to the president.
She will be assigned to a different position in the public service when she returns from maternity leave.
Tyrone Seale will continue as acting spokesperson to the president.
