‘Bags of money’ to our reporter was ‘full of lies’
Suspended Eskom CEO Matshela Koko distributed an affidavit at his disciplinary hearing on Thursday that claimed bags of money were given to various people, including a Sunday Times journalist.
The affidavit was deposed by Ntokozo Dubazana, a former bodyguard of Eskom’s ex-contracts manager, France Hlakudi.
The affidavit was not handed in as evidence at the hearing.
The affidavit alleges that Hlakudi gave Dubazana bags of money to hand to Sunday Times journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika‚ Eskom interim head of group capital Peter Sebola‚ Eskom executive committee member Abram Masango and ANC Youth League president Collen Maine.
The claims were dismissed by Hlakudi, who said the affidavit was “full of lies” and that Dubazana had been dismissed for misconduct.
“Mr Dubazana’s fanciful allegations . . . are not only intended to cast aspersions on senior executives of Eskom‚ an acclaimed journalist, and our client‚ but are clearly intended to deflect attention from Mr Koko’s disciplinary inquiry,” Hlakudi’s lawyers said in a statement.
The Sunday Times stands by Wa Afrika, and has called on Koko to provide proof of the allegations.
‘R500 000 on piece of paper’
Sunday Times editor Bongani Siqoko said: “When he first made inquiries about the contracts to Impulse International‚ Koko’s step-daughter’s company‚ the reporter said that Matshela Koko had offered him a bag of money, which he refused.
“The day before publication‚ he told his editors that Impulse International’s CEO‚ Pragasen Pather‚ wrote R500 000 on a piece of paper and told him: ‘This now‚ and the same again on Monday.’ Again he refused.
“It was after these efforts failed that Mzilikazi was told he was being followed and that his life was under threat. The Sunday Times published a story about that and hired protection for him.
“After these efforts to throw Mzilikazi off the scent were thwarted‚ the next step is to try to discredit him through this affidavit.
“Mzilikazi wa Afrika has denied the allegations: ‘I don’t know the incident this man is describing. I never met anyone at that place. I never gave my keys to anyone; it’s a security risk. No one has ever given me a bribe. As a matter of fact I refused a bag of money from Koko himself in the middle of the night. Why would I accept a bag of money in daylight? I also refused a bribe from Pragasen Pather.’
“In the absence of any credible information‚ Sunday Times stands by its reporter. If anyone has evidence of any payments they should come forward. Koko himself has never raised these issues with Sunday Times.”
Mr Dubazana’s allegations . . . are not only intended to cast aspersions on senior executives of Eskom‚ an acclaimed journalist, and our client‚ but are intended to deflect attention from Koko Lawyers for France Hlakudi Hlakudi is a former contracts manager at Eskom