Eskom auditors’ report may seal suspended Matshela Koko’s fate
SUSPENDED Eskom executive Matshela Koko’s fate could be known today when the power utility publishes its annual report.
Eskom yesterday confirmed that it had received a report from its external auditors after they raised concerns on alleged irregularities with Koko and former chief executive Brian Molefe.
Koko was implicated in an apparent conflict of interest after Eskom awarded Impulse International, a company in which his stepdaughter Koketso Choma was a director, contracts worth R1 billion.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe said irregularities pertaining to the contract and Molefe had been identified by its own auditors and external auditor SizweNtsalubaGobodo.
Phasiwe said Koko’s fate was in the hands of Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, while Molefe’s would be decided by the courts.
“Eskom has taken adequate steps to the satisfaction of the auditors that the irregularities were no longer continuing, except that in Molefe’s matter,” Phasiwe said.
The utility said the irregularities were reported to the Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors.
Koko ran Eskom after Molefe’s abrupt departure from the utility in November after former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela implicated him in the State of Capture report last year. Prior to that, Koko served as Eskom head of technology and commercial.
Molefe was controversially reinstated as chief executive in May, but removed three weeks later after the cabinet put pressure on Brown to fire him.
“Eskom’s board has taken adequate steps to the satisfaction of the auditors that the irregularities were no longer continuing,” the power utility said. “In Molefe’s matter, it was noted that the irregularity could only be closed out when the court proceeding had been concluded.”
Koko has since been on leave as an investigation by a legal firm appointed to probe a possible conflict of interest asks for more time to complete its investigation.
Phasiwe said Molefe’s case had been left to be decided by courts as he had taken his dismissal to the Labour Court.
Phasiwe said the board had launched an investigation on the Impulse International matter, and that a probe had now been completed.
“The Minister of Public Enterprises (Brown) and the board of Eskom will in due course make public pronouncements what the findings were and what remedial action will be taken, if necessary,” he said.