Full scale parliamentary inquiry into Eskom set to commence

Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises is set to commence a full scale Parliamentary inquiry into the “rot” at Eskom‚ as requested by the Democratic Alliance‚ the party said on Sunday.

DA spokesperson on public enterprises Natasha Mazzone said the DA had long pushed for this inquiry to be launched‚ and was pleased that preparations for the inquiry would now begin on Thursday‚ June 21.

She said according to the committee programme‚ the Portfolio Committee will meet on that day to proceed with “[discussions] and preparations for the inquiry into Eskom and related matters”.

“For far too long good governance practices at Eskom have crumbled under the watch of Minister Lynne Brown‚ its executives and board members‚ while the Gupta ANC mafia has pillaged public money at the utility and other public enterprises alike‚” Mazzone charged.

She said the Parliamentary Inquiry into Eskom must focus on a broad range of issues that have plunged the entity into crisis. Specifically‚ the inquiry must investigate: - Brian Molefe’s reappointment saga and his “golden handshake”; - Minister Brown seemingly misleading Parliament‚ in her reply to a DA parliamentary question‚ when she failed to disclose the contracts of engagement between the Gupta-linked‚ Trillian and Eskom; - Matshela Koko’s nepotism scandal; - Allegations by former Mineral Resources Minister‚ Ngoako Ramatlhodi‚ that Molefe and Chairperson Ben Ngubane tried to strong-arm him to withdraw Glencore’s Optimum mining licences in order to guarantee that the Guptas takeover Glencore’s coal mines; and - Allegations of Duduzane Zuma producing a fake ‘intelligence’ report which the President used to fire four Eskom executives in 2015.

Mazzone added that Parliament was the only body that was empowered to oversee and investigate the governance failures and “corrupt rot” at Eskom‚ and only Parliament could ensure that the entity operated effectively for the people of South Africa – “as opposed to the cash cow it currently is for the Gupta-ANC looters”.

“The DA warmly welcomes this Parliamentary inquiry as a critical step towards ensuring all of those responsible for the mess at Eskom are held to account and that the full details of the corruption at Eskom is finally laid bare.”