Matshela Koko disciplinary hearing a farce, DA to lay charges

15 December 2017

On Monday, 18 December 2017, the DA will lay charges against the newly reinstated Eskom CEO Matshela Koko. This follows the sham of a disciplinary hearing, clearing Koko of all charges relating to misconduct.

Earlier this year it came to light that Koko allegedly awarded lucrative Eskom contracts, worth R1 billion, to Impulse International, a company linked to his stepdaughter. He was also apparently involved in approving a R650 million loan from Eskom to Gupta-linked Tegeta, in order to ensure that the Guptas purchased Optimum.

Since Eskom and the Minister of Public Enterprises, Lynne Brown, are incapable of holding the seemingly captured and heavily implicated Koko to account, it is up to the Hawks to investigate the matter.

It is quite clear that this disciplinary hearing was never meant to investigate these serious allegations brought against Koko, but was rather a move to have him reinstated.

The hearing has been a complete and absolute farce from beginning to end. Koko was allegedly consulted on the appointment of the chairperson for his own disciplinary hearing.

There were also reports of key witnesses having failed to appear because of intimidation and manipulation, that there had been massive delays, and the initial evidence leader Sebetja Matsaung was replaced as he appeared ill-prepared and ineffectual.

The DA will continue to fight against the capture of Eskom. The executives and management at Eskom are not serious about rooting out corruption. If they were, Koko would not have been allowed back at the power utility.

Issued by Natasha Mazzone, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 15 December 2017