Axed Gauteng health MEC Dr Bandile Masuku on Friday filed an application in the high court in Pretoria, asking that the findings of the Special Investigating Unit which cost him his job be set aside.

In a statement on Friday evening, Masuku, through his lawyers Motalane Inc, said he had for the past three months “endured an onslaught of unfounded allegations that have been used to tarnish his professional integrity and image”.

Masuku was fired from his position in government earlier this month by Gauteng premier David Makhura after a damning report by the SIU that probed alleged PPE corruption in the provincial health department that allegedly took place under his watch.

The allegations related to a R139m PPE tender awarded to a company owned by Thandisizwe Diko, the husband of Khusela Diko, by the health department under Masuku’s leadership several months ago when the government began spending billions of rand on Covid-19 supplies.

The Dikos and the Masukus are family friends, and have separately denied any wrongdoing.

Now Masuku has turned to the courts so that “the adverse findings and recommendations made by the SIU against Dr Masuku, contained in their letters addressed to Premier David Makhura dated September 18 and October 1 2020 are unlawful, unconstitutional and therefore invalid,” the statement read.

He maintains the SIU findings reached “untruthful and unsubstantiated conclusions which are based on illogical inferences, suppositions and conjecture”.

“Our client has been co-operative with the investigations that he has been subjected to and has been initiating and volunteering information both at a party and state level,” the statement read.

On facing disciplinary action by the ANC, the statement said Masuku would be willing to subject himself to the required processes, but was yet to see a charge sheet.

TimesLIVE