Zondo has been unfair to me – witness

The former head of legal and compliance at Eskom, Suzanne Daniels, has accused the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, of not being fair towards her and treating other witnesses with kid gloves.

Daniels returned to the witness stand at the commission yesterday and started off her testimony by telling Zondo that since she blew the whistle on state capture at Eskom, she has been crucified by people who were part of the crew that had benefitted from what she exposed.

Daniels told Zondo that she was now being made a scapegoat and the object of scorn and that since going public with wrongdoing at Eskom, she had admitted to her errors and had lost everything.

Due to the threats meted against her and her family, Daniels said her daughter had since moved abroad.

Daniels said during the testimony of the former Eskom group executive of technology Matshela Koko last week, he made spurious allegations and sought to insinuate that she had been the link between the state-owned entity and Gupta business associate Salim Essa.

Daniels said Koko was Essa’s indentured servant and pet and that those junior to him at the power utility had been manipulated and misled so his intentions could be met.

Daniels urged the commission to obtain records that would corroborate her testimony that Koko was Essa’s lackey at Eskom.

Koko’s testimony at a parliamentary committee admitting that he knew Essa, had visited his Melrose Arch office and had met him to discuss a payment to Trillian was also proof that Koko was close to the Gupta business associate, Daniels told Zondo.

Daniels complained that her testimony had provoked incredulity from Zondo and the commission’s evidence leaders, whose questioning of her had been harsh, unlike the line of questioning directed towards other witnesses who gave Eskom-related testimony.

Zondo, however, said though he accepts that people will have differing views, he and the commission’s evidence leaders always seek to be fair.

Koko was Essa’s indentured servant and pet and that those junior to him at the power utility had been manipulated.

Suzanne Daniels Former head of legal and compliance at Eskom