Photo: YouTube / Enca
Photo: YouTube / Enca
AmaBhaca King Madzikane II Diko, who has been implicated in a PPE procurement scandal along with his wife, took to the airwaves to defend his business dealings with the Gauteng Health Department. However, things didn’t go according to plan for the prominent businessman.
Who is Madzikane II Diko Diko?
Diko has been accused of massively inflating the prices of PPE equipment, selling it on to the government and pocketing the profits. What has compounded the situation is his proximity to the presidency. Mrs Khusela Diko, Madzikane’s partner, served as a spokesperson to Cyril Ramaphosa – and she’s also accused of profiting from the suspect tenders.
There has been something of a reckoning for the Gauteng Government on Thursday. Health MEC Bandile Masuku has been told to step down from his position, while a contract handed out to Nomvula Mokonyane’s daughter has also come in for criticism. Madzikane needed a PR win today – but we doubt this will be it…
PPE interview heads south
In an interview with eNCA, the beleaguered business figure didn’t seem too comfortable with the questions that were fired at him. Whether caught off guard or simply trying to force his way through mumbled answers, Madzikane Diko fell short of comprehensively clearing his name:
Madzikane Diko fails to charm
He ended up laughing during several parts of the interview, and also spent a good two minutes trying to stop another call coming through. Seemingly forgetting he was live on air, the hosts had to guide him through some technical guidance. When he did give his excuses for entering into a suspicious government contract, the logic was far from concise:
“I run a business, but in areas where it could be perceived there is a conflict of interest, there is nothing wrong with this being questioned. I believe nothing wrong has been done. I cannot speak on behalf of other companies. My wife is in government, not me. She has nothing to do with the business.”
