Eskom maintains contacts awarded to Koko stepdaugher were done so "on merit"

The Sunday Times is reporting that 26-year-old Koketso Choma scored contracts worth R1 billion for her company from Eskom. 

Eskom's spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe says Koko denies most of the allegations in the newspaper.

"He says he was not aware until recently that his (step)daughter was a director at this company called Impulse International. Once he became aware of it, he promptly asked her to resign, and which she did sometime in August last year. Then later on Mr Koko also realised that his stepdaughter was a trustee in one of the companies dealing with this company (Impulse International) and he asked her to resign there as well." 

Phasiwe says the contracts which Eskom awarded to Impulse International were all awarded on merit, and not due to the involvement of Koko's stepdaughter. 

According to a Sunday Times, the company was awarded eight contracts from a division of Eskom that Koko headed up until he became acting CEO.

"To be honest with you, it's a difficult terrain on this one because had Mr Koko known well in advance, he says he would have asked his daughter to step down. That company deals with issues around turnaround strategies and things like that. They were asked by the project managers at Kusile (power station) and also at Medupi as well for that company to bring in experts to help with contract management. It was in that context that they were asked, to gave credence to what Eskom had believed in. That company was able to help, especially with Kusile. 

"Kusile's first unit was brought online eight months ahead of schedule. They felt they had to continue with that company because they were helping them in achieving their targets."