Koko faces new disciplinary charges at Eskom

Chief generation officer plans to deny allegations

Eskom’s chief generation officer Matshela Koko‚ who is implicated in awarding contracts to a company linked to his stepdaughter‚ is facing a fresh disciplinary inquiry.

Koko was back in the Labour Court yesterday to challenge an earlier ultimatum issued by the parastatal that he either resign or be fired.

He had planned to argue‚ in a responding affidavit submitted to the court‚ that the power utility had not followed proper procedures when its newly appointed board gave him the ultimatum.

But that argument‚ according to Eskom‚ was no longer valid as the ultimatum had been dropped‚ fresh disciplinary charges had been instituted and he was on suspension.

The Sunday Times reported last year that Impulse International‚ a company in which his stepdaughter Koketso Choma owned a stake‚ was awarded tenders worth about R1-billion‚ allegedly without proper processes being followed. Koko said at the time that he had no influence over the awarding of the tenders.

An internal disciplinary hearing initially found him not guilty on charges he had acted to benefit his stepdaughter. He was later presented with the ultimatum to resign or be fired by the new board – which he flatly rejected.

In his replying affidavit submitted in court yesterday‚ Koko had planned to deny allegations that he was a central player in the collapse of corporate governance at the utility. Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe confirmed Koko faced a new disciplinary inquiry. –