TMG Digital reports that key witnesses in the disciplinary hearing of suspended Eskom executive Matshela Koko are crying foul over 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. He is facing six charges‚ including irregularly awarding more than R1bn of tenders to a company in which his step daughter held shares‚ as well as irregularly removing some of his colleagues from their positions when he became the utility’s acting chief executive in January. In the past two weeks‚ both France Hlakudi‚ who was a contracts manager at Kusile‚ and his boss Abram Masango were issued with letters of suspension for various allegations of misconduct‚ action seemingly aimed at excluding them as witnesses in the Koko disciplinary hearing. Hlakudi resigned on receipt of the letter. Masango‚ the executive responsible for group capital infrastructure which built new power stations‚ was suspended last week on allegations "of generally corrupt conduct". It is not clear if he will still be called to testify against Koko. Senior Eskom sources with knowledge of the matter said the suspensions of both Hlakudi and Masango‚ while based on legitimate concerns over possible wrongdoing‚ were fast-tracked to stop them from being called before the hearing. Eskom denied that there was any victimisation at the utility.
- Read this detailed report by Kyle Cowan and Sikonathi Mantshantsha in full at SowetanLive
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