McKinsey report falls far short of the truth 

17 October 2017

It is increasingly clear that only a full independent investigation will get to the bottom of the corrupt relationship between Eskom, multinational consultancy McKinsey and the Gupta-linked advisory firm, Trillian.

This has been confirmed by the hollow nature of McKinsey’s own internal report on the relationship, released in the dead of last night, which has a significant number of shortcomings and smokescreens, and several unidentified fall-guys.

McKinsey defines its participation in the R1.9-billion looting spree as “an error of judgement” – a huge understatement in itself – and repeatedly denies any wrongdoing, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

If nothing else, McKinsey has confirmed the need for a proper, legally-binding investigation -- and for criminal charges to be laid against all those in the wrong.

So, while the Save South Africa campaign appreciates the fact that McKinsey has done some of its internal homework, it’s now over to Parliament, law enforcement bodies and other agencies to do a proper job.

This includes authorities in the United States who have already been approached by our fellow civil society organisation, Corruption Watch, to initiate an investigation into money-laundering and corruption. We fully support this demand, as well as other calls that have been made for full disclosure.

At the moment, we only have a series of “he said-she said” versions of events, each tailored to suit the needs of those doing the talking – whether Eskom, McKinsey or Trillian.

Only through independent, legally-binding investigations will we get to know:

- The circumstances surrounding the unlawful R1.9-billion Eskom payments to McKinsey and Trillian.

- What “work” was done to justify this amount.

- What the real relationship was between McKinsey, Trillian, Salim Essa and the Guptas.

- What other “opportunities” arose out of this relationship, and when.

Advocate Geoff Budlender put it best earlier this year when he concluded his probe of the Trillian-McKinsey-Eskom axis as follows: “These matters can only finally be determined by a proper enquiry which has the power to compel witnesses to give evidence and to produce documents.”

McKinsey may think it has done enough by showing what it wants us to know.

But we insist: we want to know it all. Only then will we be able to truly unravel the corrupt private and state-owned companies that have become a hallmark of the Zuma-Gupta state capture enterprise – and send all the crooks to jail.

Issued by Save South Africa, 17 October 2017