DA wants access to Medupi contracts

 

The DA will submit an application for access to all agreements between Eskom and its contractors at the Medupi power station in Limpopo, the party said on Monday.

   

This would be done in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), Democratic Alliance MP Natasha Michael said  in a statement.

   

"It has been over a month since the DA called for the contracts to be brought before the portfolio committee on public enterprises by minister Malusi Gigaba and we have heard nothing.

   

"It is imperative that all contracts related to Medupi be made public as the continuous delays in the completion of construction at Medupi could have ramifications in Eskom’s ability to provide electricity to the country," she said.

   

Last month, the DA said a sub-contractor connected to Hitachi Power Africa was believed to be behind the delay in completing the first phase of the power station.

   

It said this emerged from a two-day oversight visit to the Limpopo project by Parliament's public enterprises portfolio committee.

   

At the time, Michael said Hitachi officials had told MPs the sub-contractor had misled both Eskom and Hitachi into believing quality control tests on the boilers had been conducted.

   

Chancellor House, the investment arm of the ruling African National Congress, has a 25-percent stake in Hitachi, which has been awarded the boilers tender for Medupi.

   

On Monday, Michael said the agreements had to be made available to determine whether any strict controls had been put in place to ensure that parties met their deadlines and what action would be taken against contractors who failed to do so.

   

"We trust that the application will lead to key revelations which will assist in ensuring that no further delays are experienced at the station," she said.

   

-Sapa