Eskom witnesses ‘intimidated’

Officials claim move to stop them testifying in disciplinary case against suspended executive

KEY witnesses in the disciplinary hearing of suspended Eskom executive Matshela Koko are crying foul for what appears to be a campaign of intimidation designed to silence them.

Koko’s hearing is due to resume on Thursday, after a lengthy postponement.

In the past two weeks, both France Hlakudi and his boss Abram Masango were issued with letters of intention of suspension for various allegations of misconduct.

Hlakudi resigned on receipt of the letter while Masango’s deadline to submit reasons why he should not be suspended was on Friday.

Eskom did not respond to questions seeking clarity on whether or not he had made submissions.

I persist in my view that the allegations against me are unfounded

Masango was suspended last week, on allegations “of generally corrupt conduct”.

Eskom said yesterday he may still be called to testify against Koko.

The relationship between the two men deteriorated soon after Koko was appointed acting chief executive in January, after the controversial departure of Brian Molefe.

At the same time, Eskom advertised the vacant chief executive post, and both men applied. Both were members of the utility’s executive committee.

Koko is alleged to have waged a campaign to eliminate potential competition for the post.

Masango was soon removed from his position as head of the group’s capital division responsible for infrastructure investments and placed as an assistant in the office of the chief executive.

The board of Eskom was forced to intervene in the feud, with then chairman Ben Ngubane, directors Venette Klein and Zethembe Khoza meeting with Koko to coach him on better relations with his colleagues.

It is understood that Hlakudi will not, in light of his resignation, be giving evidence before the hearing on allegations that Koko usurped Masango’s powers in axing Hlakudi from the Kusile project.

Senior Eskom sources with intimate knowledge of the matter said the suspensions of both Hlakudi and Masango, while based on legitimate concerns over possible wrongdoing, were fasttracked to stop them from being called before the hearing.

The same source agreed both men and others were being targeted to protect Koko. Eskom denied that there was any victimisation at the utility. Hlakudi would not comment when contacted yesterday, saying that his relationship with Eskom was now over, and he could not speak for the power utility.

In his resignation letter, dated November 13, in which he disputes the grounds for his suspension, Hlakudi again denies the allegations against him that he accepted a R20-million bribe to divert tenders at Kusile.

“I persist in my view that the allegations against me are unfounded and that this would be borne out in any investigation or disciplinary hearing,” Hlakudi writes.

“However, having said that, and judging by current events, any such disciplinary hearing is likely to be a protracted, costly and hostile exercise.

“More importantly, I feel that the current environment at Eskom is toxic and not conducive to a healthy employer-employee relationship.

“The clear message I get is that I am no longer trusted by Eskom and that any attempt by me to salvage the relationship would be futile.”

Hlakudi’s lawyers also wrote to Koko’s legal representatives last week to complain that he was being intimidated and defamed by Koko, City Press reported.

A letter addressed to Masango, an executive in Eskom Group Capital, on November 3 by acting group chief executive Sean Maritz, meanwhile, states Eskom has commissioned an investigation into allegations that he “committed serious misconduct relating to an undeclared conflict of interest and generally corrupt conduct”.

According to Eskom, an external company hired had not yet completed investigations into allegations against Masango but that Maritz was guided by the investigators’ report.

“Mr Masango is still a witness and has not been excluded. Mr Hlakudi has declined to give evidence as he is no longer an Eskom employee,” Eskom said in a written response to questions yesterday.

Masango is believed to have blown the whistle on Koko to the Eskom board, which eventually led to his suspension.

Koko, meanwhile, will soon have his opportunity to answer to allegations that he failed to declare a conflict of interest while he was group chief executive for generation and awarded contracts worth more than R1-billion to Impulse International, in which his stepdaughter, Koketso Choma, was a director and shareholder. – Additional reporting by Stephan Hofstatter