Blackouts a ploy to blind us to Eskom rot

SEEMINGLY, whenever Eskom’s rot is brought out into the public domain, causing a stench, there appear to be power cuts aimed at diffusing the odour.

On July 7, the power utility published information related to overpayments amounting to R4 billion. To save face, Eskom claims that “several investigations through law enforcement agencies are ongoing”. That same night, Eskom announced “load rotation”.

All claims that the overpayments were to Gupta-linked Tegeta were rubbished by the public enterprises minister. Actually, some allegedly went to a company linked to Eskom COO, Jan Oberholzer, who holds shares in Stefanutti Stocks.

A report sent to Parliament on Monday revealed Stefanutti allegedly received almost R1bn in overpayment. Former Eskom employees Frans Hlakudi, a contracts manager, and Abram Masango, a group executive, were also allegedly implicated in benefiting from the illegal overpayments, to the tune of R75 million and R613m respectively.

Another former executive, Matshela Koko, allegedly awarded an irregular contract to a company, ABB SA, which received an estimated R1bn. His stepdaughter’s company, Impulse International, is listed as a beneficiary of the overpayments.

Another company, Tenova, was implicated with links to an Eskom project director, employer representative, a senior contracts manager and two contracts managers. The latter resigned with immediate effect in the face of disciplinary action.

Oberholzer has the audacity and arrogance to reveal to Parliament’s standing committee on appropriations that the overpayments were an “administrative error”.

How can R4bn paid in several small chunks, over varied time periods, to different companies, be an administrative error?

Errors occur once-off. Not continuously and mysteriously to companies linked to Eskom insiders.

The rot at Eskom is far greater than any sober South African mind can possibly comprehend.

Hence the rolling blackouts when such is revealed to blind us as Eskom’s gravy train rapes its finances. Unbundling Eskom will only allow for corruption to be done on a smaller scale.

We may be masked, but as taxpaying South Africans, we will not be silent at Eskom’s atrocities.

THANDO DLOMO | Kwamashu