‘It’s not our job’: Eskom board grilled over graft inaction
Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana came under fire on Wednesday for not acting on claims by the entity’s former CEO that a senior politician was involved in criminality at Eskom.
In a tv interview earlier this year, Andre de Ruyter claimed that a private investigation revealed widespread fraud, corruption, sabotage, maladministration, and acts of sabotage at the entity.
But, when appearing before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in April, De Ruyter failed to name the politician.
Eskom’s board responded to questions, from the same committee, related to the allegations made by the former CEO’s allegations.
Makwana told lawmakers it was for De Ruyter to report the claim, not the board.
“It’s my understanding that Mr De Ruyter would have had to go to the nearest police station and report that politician. Is that really an Eskom matter? No. He or she who alleges has to go to the relevant authority and lay the charges.
“I’m not sure why we want to lump everything at the door of Eskom on this one… we’re not a law enforcement agency.”
However, DA MP Maria van Minnen refused to accept Makwana’s response, adding that even the answers given by law enforcement agencies during their appearance on Tuesday were unsatisfactory.
READ: Makgoba accuses SAPS, Hawks of failing to do their job on Eskom
“That is something that is completely bizarre, and of course, the Eskom matter and of course, the board should be concerned about. We are not asking for the name of the person concerned, what we are saying is that it’s an Eskom issue, and is Eskom doing anything that is clearly one of the major factors stopping them from keeping the lights on?”
Her sentiments were echoed by Scopa chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa, after Makwana alluded to the fact that the committee itself had failed to convince De Ruyter to name the politician in question.
“For clarity, when he came here, he pointed us to go to the minister of public enterprises and the presidential advisor on that one issue of the politician. He’s not pointed us to yourselves because you did not probe the allegations.
“The bottom line is that Mr De Ruyter made assertive allegations publicly whilst in a position of responsibility under your supervision and what we have gathered is that what happened when you met with him is that you didn’t test his allegation but rather cut short his notice.”
Makwana maintained that Eskom’s job is to keep the lights on and not to conduct criminal investigations.
“Suppose Mr De Ruyter disclosed the name of the politician, suppose all this was known to Eskom; Eskom doesn’t have the power to arrest or act on that. The matter was reported about an individual in politics supposedly benefitting from the Eskom value chain.
“The matter, as best as I can tell, the matter as best as I can tell has to be left to the law to take its course to bring that person to book. It’s not Eskom’s duty to bring that person to book.”
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