Scopa has more questions for De Ruyter over allegations of corruption at Eskom

Parliament's standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) wants former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to appear before it again, as questions about allegations of corruption he made during an interview with eNCA in February remain unanswered.

Committee members were unanimous that they need to probe further before deciding a way forward.

Some MPs have previously called for an inquiry into De Ruyter’s allegations of widespread corruption at Eskom, but others felt a committee investigation would be sufficient.

On Wednesday, Scopa MPs — who over the past month have listened to De Ruyter, police and Hawks bosses, the Special Investigating Unit, Eskom board and public enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan — felt more information was needed to decide on a course of action.

There was a suggestion that De Ruyter, who refused to answer some of their questions during his first appearance last month, be subpoenaed this time so that he can name those he claimed were involved in fleecing the power utility.

DA MP Benedicta van Minnen said as things stand, they were sitting with a “he said — she said situation”, which made it difficult to draft firm recommendations. She suggested a proper, formal investigation to get to the bottom of the contradictory comments that have been made in the process.

Others agreed and proposed the names of those who could be invited to give answers.

Among others Scopa wants to hear from is Gen Jaap Burger, the Hawks investigator who was designated by national police commissioner Fannie Masemola to interact with De Ruyter after De Ruyter raised corruption allegations with the police in June last year.

MPs also want the auditor-general, director-general in the Presidency Phindile Baleni and former Eskom board member Busisiwe Mavuso to appear before the committee.

Scopa chair Mkhuleko Hlengwa said he would like Mavuso to appear because of the intelligence report commissioned by De Ruyter. “It seems some knew about it and some didn’t, and it would be in the category of those who were privy to the work of the intelligence gathering [that she is invited].”

Scopa will hear from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national security adviser Sydney Mufamadi on Friday and the Eskom board will be reinvited to further probe what it knew and its role in the saga.

“We will continue with the engagements and re-engagements where necessary of persons of interest to us and parties on this matter,” he said.

The complete list of people to appear will be concluded on Friday after the meeting with Mufamadi, said Hlengwa.

Scopa will need a “protracted engagement” with Burger, whom Hlengwa described as a point of convergence “in all these interactions, whether it’s from De Ruyter’s side, national commissioner of police, the minister of police, minister of [public enterprises], he is a common denominator on this”.

He also suggested it may be difficult to convince parliament to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter because the house had already shot down a motion to do so when it was proposed by the DA in March.  

“The issue around an ad hoc committee has been proposed and put on the table, but I have a level of scepticism redoing what the house has taken a decision on already, so I think we need to apply our minds on that,” said Hlengwa.

“Let’s keep sight on the option that remains available to us now, which is a committee inquiry, its own limitations notwithstanding, and see how far we can expand the scope.”

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