Suspended Eskom CEO rats on colleagues

Eskom's suspended CEO Matshela Koko has accused some of his colleagues of corruption, saying he was being targeted for trying to stop it.

He was testifying in his own defence at his disciplinary hearing in Johannesburg on Thursday.

Koko handed in a document alleging France Hlakudi, a former project manager at Kusile power station, had received a bribe of R61-million from Tubular Construction Projects, a contractor of Eskom.

The money was paid into the bank account of Hlakudi Translation & Interpretation and from there retainers were paid to some Eskom employees, he claimed.

Koko was suspended earlier this year and is facing six charges of misconduct relating mainly to a conflict of interest concerning contracts worth about R1-billion, which were awarded to Impulse International, a company in which his stepdaughter, Koketso Choma, was a director.

He is also accused of undermining his colleagues and irregularly removing some of them, including Hlakudi.

"I wanted Hlakudi to be removed because a whistleblower gave me an invoice of money that went into France Hlakudi's account. An amount of R61-million was paid into his account and R38-million of it was withdrawn from the bank in cash," Koko alleged.

One of those allegedly on the retainer, was projects manager at Eskom, Nombasa Mantashe, the daughter of ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe, who is said to have received R978,000 from Hlakudi.

Mildred Nyoka, a senior contracts manager at Kusile power station, received R200,000, according to Koko.

Koko said this came from a R400,000 payment made on the same day Hlakudi was authorised by the board tender committee to negotiate the contract with Tubular.

"Patrice Tiberi, an employee of Tubular, deposited R400,000 into the account of Hlakudi Translation, of which Hlakudi is the sole director.''

Koko claimed both Nyoka and Mantashe had been involved in tenders submitted at Eskom on behalf of Tubular.

"This is what gave Hlakudi the arrogance of continuing what he was doing because he thought he was protected."