Joining the dots between Eskom and the Guptas
THE Eskom board nominated by Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown and appointed by the cabinet in September last year “consisted predominantly of individuals with direct and indirect business or personal relations” with Duduzile Zuma‚ the Guptas and their associates.
In her state capture report‚ former public protector Thuli Madonsela details multiple conflicts of interest among six board members:
ý Baldwin Sipho Ngubane (chairman): He was a director of Gade Oil and Gas‚ a company in which Gupta associate Salim Essa was a former director. In his conflict of interest declaration on May 31‚ Ngubane did not list himself as a director of Gade;
ý Mark Pamensky (non-executive director): He was a director of Oakbay Resources and Energy‚ which was 64%-owned by Atul Gupta. He was also a director of Shiva Uranium. Oakbay Resources and Energy has a 74% shareholding in Shiva and Tegeta has a 19.6% shareholding.
He was also a director of Yellow Star Trading 1099‚ where Essa was a fellow director. He was a former director of BIT Information Technology‚ where fellow director Kubentheran Moodley was a special adviser to the mineral resources minister and sole director of Albatime‚ one of the entities that contributed to the purchase of Optimum Coal Holdings.
In his conflict of interest declaration‚ Pamensky mentions his directorships in Oakbay Resources and Energy‚ Yellow Star Trading and BIT Information Technology.
ý Devapushpum Naidoo (non-executive director) is the wife of Kubentheran Moodley‚ director of Albatime. Albatime contributed to the purchase of Optimum Coal Holdings. She listed her husband as a part-time adviser to the mining minister and said this might be a conflict.
ý Nazia Carrim (non-executive director): She is the spouse of Muhammed Sikander Noor Hussain‚ a relative of Essa. In her declaration‚ she did not declare this link. Carrim has since resigned.
ý Romeo Khumalo (non-executive director): He and Essa were directors of Ujiri Technologies. Khumalo has resigned from the board.
ý Marriam Cassim (non-executive director): Sahara Computers‚ a subsidiary of Sahara Holdings‚ was a previous employer. In her declaration‚ Cassim did not list Sahara as a previous employer. She has resigned from the board.