Former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter
Cape Town - The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) is expected to continue with its investigation into former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s allegations on corruption and maladministration at the power utility.
The committee still wanted to engage with some of the people of interest and recall some of those who already appeared before it, including De Ruyter.
On Wednesday, the committee met to deliberate on the allegations following presentations by De Ruyter, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and the Eskom board.
Committee chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa noted that adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Dr Sydney Mufamadi, would appear before the committee on Friday.
“His matter is quite pointed in terms of what we look to hear from him,” Hlengwa said.
DA MP Benedicta van Minnen said the problem they had was that “we sit with something that made it difficult to draw recommendations”.
Van Minnen said another complication was that De Ruyter was abroad and they would not be able to subpoena him.
“We need to make recommendations given the constraints we operate under. I do think there needs to be an investigation into what is going on because what we are seeing is very contradictory,” she said.
ANC MP Sakhumzi Somyo said they made good progress, but there were still people to be invited to appear before Scopa.
“There is reference to a Mr Berger who would be of value to listen to, among the people featuring from De Ruyter’s first document,” he said about the SAPS brigadier assigned to meet the former CEO by police commissioner Fannie Masemola.
“The director-general in the Presidency is one of the people we have to invite and thereafter say so far this is what we amassed and this is the way forward,” Somyo said, adding that there could be “second bite” on the Eskom board.
EFF MP Ntombovuyo Mente noted that De Ruyter, as the person who was in charge of the power utility, was out of the country.
“He failed to execute his fiduciary duties. He became an accomplice to crime. The latest disclosure by the minister when he was talking to him about vetting, he specifically said he does not want to give State Security his financial documents.
“Given the situation we are in and the cartels, who knows that he himself was not the main driver behind the cartels, why would he refuse his financial documents to be submitted?” Mente asked.
She said De Ruyter was uncomfortable to name the politicians he claimed were behind the corruption at Eskom.
“We have to open a case against De Ruyter and he would be able to tell us who are the people destroying Eskom.”
Hlengwa said a list of six people were of interest to the committee.
“We will continue with engagements and re-engagement where necessary.”
Cape Times