POLITICS

PP must investigate Impulse's R1,7m ANC donation - Natasha Mazzone

DA MP says threats to journalists show lengths to which those with much to hide are willing to go to cover up

DA refers R1,7 million ANC donation from Impulse to Public Protector for investigation

The DA will ask the Public Protector to probe revelations in the unfolding nepotism scandal at Eskom involving the acting CEO Matshela Koko, and his stepdaughter Koketso Choma, that a R1,7 million donation was paid from Choma's company to the ANC.

The DA will ask the Public Protector to include this new, shocking allegation of a massive donation to the ANC, into an already established investigation into Koko and Choma as requested by the DA in March 2017.

It now appears that Koko did not only allegedly improperly award tenders worth R1 billion to Impulse International, a company in which his stepdaughter is a Director, when he was head of Eskom’s Generation Unit, but the arrangement was used as a conduit to siphon money to the ANC.

The Public Protector must now investigate and expose what the relationship between Koko, Choma, Impulse and the ANC really is.

It cannot be accepted that so much public money was allegedly improperly directed toward family insiders of the acting CEO of Eskom, only to land in the hands of the ANC.

This latest revelation, including the intimidation of journalists who have exposed this scandal, shows the lengths to which those with much to hide are willing to go to cover up.

Eskom has been reluctant to release the Denton report that contains details of widespread corruption at the parastatal, and it seems that corruption scandals are only increasing under the current leadership. The state in which Eskom currently finds itself bears the scars of state capture to benefit, not only comrades and friends, but the ANC itself.

The DA expects a through investigation from the Public Protector, and where impropriety is found strict remedial action must be taken to end the haemorrhaging of public money from Eskom.

Statement issued by Natasha Mazzone MP, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, 23 April 2017