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Dear Minister Ramokgopa, here is a list of corruption cases impacting on Eskom

New minister of electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said this week that Eskom's challenges were technical problems which had nothing to do with ‘so-called corruption’. Well that is simply not so, with reports of corruption frequently uncovered by the media, and some cases with law enforcement agencies and the courts. The South African Police Service is currently investigating 131 Eskom-related cases, while the Hawks have 83 cases across six provinces, with 18 in court.
Dear Minister Ramokgopa, here is a list of corruption cases impacting on Eskom
Vincent Cruywagen
By Vincent Cruywagen
23 Mar 2023
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The Eskom cases before courts include:


  1. Ex-Eskom executive France Hlakudi is one of several people accused of fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with an allegedly fraudulent R745-million contract involving the Kusile Power Station.

  2. In March 2022, the Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained a freezing order valued at R2.4-billion related to the Optimum Coal Mine and its assets, bought with the proceeds of crime by the Gupta-owned Tegeta company.

  3. In October 2022, former Eskom acting CEO Matshela Koko, his wife and two stepdaughters were among eight people arrested on corruption charges relating to a multimillion-rand irregular contract for building the Kusile Power Station. The charges stem from a 2015 contract awarded to the Swiss conglomerate Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) to install control and instrumentation systems at the power station.

  4. In November 2022, two security guards were arrested in connection with the theft of diesel worth R145,930 from an Eskom plant. The guards were employed by a security company contracted by Eskom and had been guarding the Port Rex gas turbine station in East London.

  5. Also in November  2022, Eskom reported multiple arrests linked to sabotage, coal theft and coal fraud at Camden Power Station.

  6. Around 30 November 2022, a truck driver and his supervisor from a transport company subcontracted to haul coal to Eskom were arrested at the Matla Power Station. The arrests took place after the truck driver was found to be in possession of subgrade coal destined for the facility.

  7. Angelo Cysman, a 40-year-old plant operator at the Ankerlig Power Station in Atlantis, is accused of stealing diesel worth R500,000. He was released on R50,000 bail by the Atlantis Magistrates’ Court in December last year. It is alleged he allowed a vehicle to collect stolen diesel from the site, declared the diesel tanker was empty and all the fuel offloaded, and then allowed the vehicle to leave with the stolen load. DM


Read more about the cartels operating in Eskom

Read Ramokgopa's comments - that the troubles at Eskom had nothing to do with corruption in Daily Maverick.

Read: Much of De Ruyter's corruption claims not new and response to them is political posturing, by Marianne Merten.

 

 

Comments (7)

Johan Herholdt Mar 26, 2023, 01:47 PM

In his defence, we must remember if newly-minted minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa admits to "so-called" corruption he will have to do something about it. Rather him than me to take on those well-managed (OK, by fear), highly effective (OK, by corruption and murder) cartels. Anyway, he is probably (like any ambitious employee with an eye to 2024) taking his cues from his boss.

virginia crawford Mar 25, 2023, 07:13 AM

The impact on Eskom of the billions owed to it by corrupt local government, should be added to the toll. Corruption is endemic in the ANC, so no surprises really.

Lisbeth Scalabrini Mar 24, 2023, 03:43 PM

Please remember that Ramokgopa is not speaking to the DM readers, but to the vast number of voters out there, who might believe him, as he will be backed up by the local ANC representatives and most likely do not even read newspapers.

Mac ka Uthini Mar 24, 2023, 02:49 PM

A team of efficient high quality ( infrared for night stealing ) drones monitoring each facility from coal supply to generation facility ( DM ? ) would yield the first ( only first ! ) batch of thieves - for the SAPS cadres ( as per person caught for sabotage ) to release in the morning .

Gerhard Theunissen Mar 24, 2023, 12:21 PM

Hey man! The minister is brilliant. After all, he came up with the statement "consistent energy availability will end load shedding". That is like saying, if you keep on eating, you won't get hungry. To be honest, I think there was a strategy to put De Ruyter in charge because the ANC knew he would fail to fix the mess and eventually leave. And then they will have an excuse (scapegoat) for another 30 years. They will be beating this drum for many years to come.

Allan Wolman Wolman Mar 24, 2023, 11:53 AM

November to February debilitating blackouts, hello and election on the horizon and load-shedding improving and will disappear closer to voting day. Those months of level 6 purposely manipulated to pave the way for vast improvement, people only too happy to be rid of darkness and who will be credited for this, the polls will show when the ANC is elected back to power. No discounting the ANC’s cunning ways.

Ian McGill Mar 24, 2023, 09:07 AM

After 3 weeks into the job, he already knows more than the last chap who had 3 years to see. The tactic is obvious. Blame the hardware and not management! i.e. the ANC and not a whiff of corruption! Is it not odd that, given the Estina dairy scandal, not even one squeak of an inquiry into the shenanigans in Mpumalanga.? Was this the price of Mabusa's swing to Cyril? Who is/was the Cabinet Member De Ruyter was referring too? Our ex-deputy President fits the profile .Just ask Eskom ,of its coal powered fleet. What is the percentage breakdown of coal deliveries to the stations? In the categories A) Trucking by road B) Mine- to-stations conveyors C) Rail Transnet/ Others. Then we will see why and what infrastructure fails. The stink will be too big to hide.