Eskom board to investigate allegations against COO
The board of Eskom has established an inquiry to investigate allegations levelled against its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jan Oberholzer.
The power utility says it received correspondence from Corruption Watch as well as from the South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) accusing the COO of corruption and victimisation.
However, Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha says the details of the allegations will only be revealed before the inquiry.
"The allegations are best ventilated when the inquiry gets underway," says Mantshantsha.
"He will have access to all the relevant documents that he needs, that are in the possession of Eskom and indeed the COO, who is the accused in this matter, will cooperate fully."
Advocate Nazeer Cassim will head up the inquiry.
Mantshantsha adds that Oberholzer will continue operating as COO.
"At this point our disciplinary processes and all our management processes are designed to be fair on the accuser and the accused.
"Mr Oberholzer is and will be deemed innocent until proven guilty," he says.
This is not the first time Oberholzer has been in hot water at the power utility, but he was previously cleared of any wrongdoing.
"The (previous) allegations that were made(levelled) against the COO before the board was referred a senior counsel who upon a preliminary investigation found no substance to the allegations and that is where the matter rested," explains Mantshantsha.
The inquiry is expected to get underway as soon as possible.
ALSO READ:
Union calls for the suspension of train services
UNTU General Secretary, Steve Harris says train users are more vulnerable to being infected. "We have called on the Minister of Transport to suspend the train services of Metrorail because members of UNTU are very vulnerable with regard to the exposure they have under the current train service conditions and Prasa (the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa) has not supplied any of the staff with protective gears such as facial masks, gloves, and hand sanitisers," says Harris.