LISTEN: 'Eskom lied to National Treasury'
An Eskom employee, who managed coal supply in 2014, has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that Eskom lied to National Treasury about the quality of coal from Brakfontein coal mine.
Gert Opperman continued his testimony on Monday.
He said although two tests declared the coal coming from Gupta-owned Brakfontein as unsatisfactory, the power utility continued to do business with the mine.
Opperman said Eskom was seeking approval from Treasury in 2016 to extend the contract.
The application was allegedly sent by his senior, Vuyisile Ncube, and was valued at R2.9 billion.
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Evidence leader Kate Hofmeyr:" Will you read out what Eskom was telling national treasury in this application?"
Opperman: "Eskom has since validated the reserve base in the Braamfontein colliery extension and has confirmed the offer from the supplier meets its coal quality and quantity requirements for the duration of the agreement."
Hofmeyr: “Is that true?”
Opperman: “Not according to my knowledge.”
He said before this extension Gupta-owned Tegeta, the parent company of Brakfontein mine, tried to persuade him to have this unsatisfactory coal delivered to the Majuba power station.
Opperman claimed he later received a call from former Eskom executive Matshela Koko, who has also been implicated in state capture at the power utility, who instructed him to get Majuba to accept the coal despite its questionable quality.
"I asked Mr. Ncube what I must do as this instruction was outside the contract. Ncube encouraged me to engage the power station. Majuba responded and agreed that the coal is dispatched."
He told the commission that the Brakfontein contract was the first of its kind, and that is was poorly drafted with repeated clauses and meant as a one-way money flow from Eskom to Tegeta.