Eskom denies sponsoring WEF event

ESKOM has denied that it is sponsoring the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, next week.

This came after Natasha Michael, the DA spokeswoman on public enterprises, wrote to the power utility demanding it cancel its apparent sponsorship of the event.

Michael said in a statement that sponsoring and attending the international event had “nothing to do with solving South Africa’s electricity crisis, and is a completely unjustifiable expense at a time when Eskom is broke and holding out the begging bowl to South Africans to fund their mismanagement”.

She charged that no fewer than “three executives” would be flying to Davos to represent Eskom, including chief executive Tshediso Matona, chairman Zola Tsotsi, and group sustainability officer Steve Lennon.

“It would be complete hypocrisy for Eskom’s CEO to announce that Eskom is on the immediate brink of bankruptcy and its infrastructure is fast collapsing while simultaneously sponsoring a global event in Switzerland.

“Who are Eskom trying to fool by playing up to an international audience when in their own backyard they are creating the conditions for an economic shutdown?” Michael asked.

Michael’s statement followed a report in the Mail& Guardian which stated that Eskom had not responded to questions on the value of its partnership with the WEF.

Yesterday, spokesman Andrew Etzinger denied Eskom was sponsoring the WEF. “I have to point out that only two people will be attending the event. This is our chair, who is a member of the International Chamber of Business, and our sustainability executive, who is an internationally respected expert on climate change.

“This is an extremely important event and it is vital that we are properly represented there,” he said.