Mzilikazi wa Afrika threatened for Eskom coverage

The Sunday Times this week received credible information that the life of its investigative journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika could be in danger because of his reporting on the lucrative tenders Eskom has awarded to Impulse International.

He was also told his home was being watched and that an attempt to smear him would be made.

Wa Afrika has signed an affidavit detailing the threats and the results of an investigation into the identities of some of the people behind them.

story_article_left1

Sunday Times editor Bongani Siqoko said: "We are concerned and that is why we are telling you, our readers, about this.

"Times Media Group, owners of the Sunday Times, have taken a decision to provide him and his family with 24-hour security. We just cannot take any chances.

"What is of huge concern to us is the fact that this is not an isolated case. Journalists in this country are increasingly finding it harder to do their jobs.

"Just this past week, there were two reported incidents of journalists being attacked or blocked from doing their jobs. This should be of concern to every South African."

On March 26, Wa Afrika wrote that Impulse International, a Fourways-based company in which the stepdaughter of Eskom boss Matshela Koko was a director, raked in contracts worth about R1-billion from the state-owned power utility.

Choma, 26, who graduated as a chartered accountant three years ago, was appointed a director at Impulse International in April last year.

story_article_right2

Over the 11 months following her appointment as a director, the company was awarded eight contracts from a division of Eskom that Koko headed until he was appointed acting CEO in December.

At the time the story was published, Koko told the Sunday Times he was not aware Choma was part of Impulse International and that he had ordered her to resign from the company after he became aware of her relationship with it.

Choma told the Sunday Times that she "didn't benefit ... from my shareholding. I did not receive any dividends".

On April 9, the Sunday Times reported how Koko and Impulse International CEO Pragasen Pather had called each other 52 times while Choma worked for the company.

Wa Afrika reveals in the Sunday Times today that Choma lied and received R16-million from the company late last year. Wa Afrika also reports that Impulse donated R1.7-million to the ANC for its birthday bash in January.