Gordhan roasts Anjoj Singh at Eskom inquiry

"Mr. Singh, your self-preservation trumping conscious and ethics. In other words, you have to survive at any cost, including (by) lying, misleading."

Singh, who resigned on Monday, testified at Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.

He defended himself against the allegations of corruption levelled against him, but Gordhan believes Singh is dodging accountability.

"You know what people like you have done is ignoring a very strong public view that corruption is actually eroding South Africa's society and eroding South Africa's economy. Does it not worry you that you part of that?" Gordhan asked.

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Singh testified that he had no part in corruption at the power parastatal.

"If I did something wrong and if there is a need for me to take accountability for that, I'm happy to do so. But where there is clear and unequivocal evidence of it not being in my area of responsibility."

Former Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, found that Eskom had gone out of its way to ensure that the Gupta-owned Tegeta obtain the Optimum mine and a lucrative coal supply contract.

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Singh denied being part of the negotiations to approve a prepayment of about R600 million to Tegeta to help buy the mine.  

Gordhan labelled Singh as a "delinquent" director and part of a conspiracy to funnel state money to the controversial Gupta family.