‘I was kicked out for not agreeing to an inquiry’
Former Eskom CEO Matona says power utility was in need of solutions and not an inquiry
FORMER Eskom chief executive Tshediso Matona yesterday told the Zondo Commission of Inquiry how he was booted out six years ago after expressing dissatisfaction with a decision to hold an inquiry at the power utility.
According to Matona, who was appointed in October 2014, in less than six months on the job he was suspended following a board meeting chaired by former board chairperson Zola Tsotsi.
At the meeting, Tsotsi presented a board resolution which had called for an inquiry into Eskom’s affairs.
But Matona highlighted that when a vote on the resolution was called, most of the board members were reluctant to support the decision as they felt they knew very little about reasons behind the decision to hold an inquiry.
He too expressed his reluctance to support the mooted inquiry, adding that Eskom’s issues were well known at the time, particularly its struggles with load shedding and its financial position.
He said what was needed was solutions and not an inquiry.
Matona said he presented a plan to the board at this meeting and reiterated his unhappiness with the board’s desire to call for an inquiry.
It is what followed that took him by surprise.
He was asked by the board to step aside from the company while an inquiry took place.
“I asked if they are suspending me and they said not quite. I had told them that we did not need an inquiry and that we had plans as management. When I came back I was given a letter of suspension,” Matona said.
Matona said Tsotsi told the board at the time that the decision to conduct an inquiry had been supported by then-president Jacob Zuma and former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown.
Matona said upon the events that unfolded, he took the lack of consultation over his role as a breach of labour laws and as a result approached the Labour Court to set aside the suspension.
“Myself, the chief financial officer and four other executives were suspended for not having done anything wrong,” he said.
The Labour Court rule in his favour but the matter was referred to the CCMA
He was offered a 12-month salary package, which he took because he felt he could not afford to fight Eskom on the matter.
Matona said he was six months into his job and that he had only met with Eskom’s board twice since the board was appointed in December 2014.
He further said his departure could have been manufactured from outside of the company.
“I could not establish exactly what was the reason. It seemed that between the March 8 and March 11 meeting, something happened. My only conclusion was that this was coming from outside.
“The events that followed at Eskom after my ouster from the company and when Mr Brian Molefe was appointed, and other things that were reported, made me suspect that it was probably because I was removed to make way for some of that. I have no facts either than what I have seen.”
Following Matona’s departure, Molefe was appointed Eskom’s chief executive, with Anoj Singh appointed chief financial officer.
The two had allegedly been responsible for awarding questionable tenders at Eskom and at Transnet which favoured the Gupta family’s companies.
Matona has concluded his evidence and the commission is set to hear more testimony from others.