Guptas’ R1.6 billion Eskom discount on Tegeta-Optimum settlement must be made public

26 June 2017

The DA believes that all information regarding the obscene R1.6 billion discount that Gupta company, Tegeta, received from Eskom, in settlement of a substandard-coal dispute, must be immediately made public.

The current public interest in the capture of Eskom and other aspects of our state by the Guptas, demands that this secretive R1.6 billion settlement not be hidden from public scrutiny. It is highly irregular that this enormous settlement value be kept secret, when it directly affects public money.

We will write to the acting Eskom CEO, Johnny Dladla, to request that Eskom makes the details of the Tegeta-Optimum agreement public. There is no rational reason for the details to be kept hidden when the Guptas have fleeced another R1.6 billion from public money.

Eskom’s seeming acceptance of a R500 million settlement from Tegeta, after Eskom initially vowed to recover every cent, is an amazing about-turn and can only be seen as yet another Eskom favour for the Guptas.

The confidentiality clause in this settlement agreement is clearly inserted to hide something. Yet the public deserves to know how this R1.6 billion decision was taken.

When an Eskom client in a residential home doesn’t pay a bill, Eskom wastes no time in cutting their electricity off. Yet when the Guptas owe R2.1 billion, they get R1.6 billion in discounts.

The Guptas’ influence has completely undermined good governance practices at Eskom, and has captured the ANC government. South African democracy is being undermined and our state is being sold off in large chunks to the Gupta-ANC mafia.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 26 June 2017