It would be the same person trotting out the numbers of corruption cases reported and currently being investigated at Eskom by the SAPS!
The sheer numbers of corruption cases reported by Government and being investigated by the SAPS would alert any person with half a brain that there IS wide scale and rampant corruption at Eskom.
Facts:
- 1 952 cases reported since April 2022
- 1 405 of those cases still under investigation
- 126 Arrests have been made
- 302 Further cases reported up until 29 May 2023
- 285 of the above cases are still being invetsigated
- 31 Arrests have been made
- From 214 Arrests thus far the total value of items seized is R89 933 212
Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, says 1 952 cases related to corruption at Eskom have been registered with the police since April last year.
Ramokgopa was delivering the ministry’s Budget Vote Debate at Parliament’s Good Hope Chamber on Wednesday evening.
Corruption, including state capture, has hampered the power utility and is viewed as a contributor to its current challenges in generating adequate electricity generation capacity for the country.
“A total of 1 952 Eskom related cases were reported to the SA Police Service between 1 April 2022 and 29 May 2023, with 1 405 cases still under investigation, and 126 arrests have been made.
“A further 302 Eskom related cases were reported to the SA Police Service between 1 April 2023 and 29 May 2023, with 285 of the cases still under investigation, and 31 arrests effected.
“A total of 214 arrests, emanating from combatting operations, were made through the collaborative efforts of law enforcement, together with key interdepartmental role players. The total value of items seized was R89 933 212,” Ramokgopa said.
The Minister said these cases are tangible evidence that the power utility’s increased anti-corruption measures are beginning to take root.
“Whilst much remains, these interventions are beginning to turn the situation around, and there are indications that operational measures implemented have clearly disrupted the activities of criminal syndicates,” he said.
Turning to continued social media reports of an impending complete blackout of the electricity grid, Ramokgopa assured South Africans that such an occurrence is unlikely.
“I should hasten to stress that an increase in load shedding levels does not mean a greater risk of a national blackout. Instead, load shedding is a tool to prevent such an occurrence by managing the demand for electricity at a given time.
“A national blackout or grid collapse remains highly improbable, as multiple safeguards are in place to ensure that it does not occur,” he said.
Ramokgopa said as winter begins to take its grip, government and Eskom have set plans in motion which could potentially add 7 000MW to the grid.
These plans include:
- Contracting 400MW of capacity from Kelvin power station and large-scale industrial producers which is expected to come online in the coming days.
- Ramping the Open Cycle Gas Turbines to potentially add some 2 000MW.
- Adding 80MW from Mozambique’s Nacala Powership.
- Utilising City Power’s diesel generators that can produce up to 100MW. These units are being assessed to determine the cost-benefit analysis of a return-to-service refurbishment.
“The winter outlook indicates an increased risk of supply shortfall against expected demand with our worst case scenario indicating that load shedding could intensify to higher stages if our interventions are unsuccessful,” he said.
A quick history of Eskom Corruption in the news:
In March 2023, the newly appointed Minister of electricity – Minister Kgosientsho “Sputla” Ramokgopa – said whilst visiting the Tutuka Plant; “There’s 3 000MW that is locked in Kusile [that has] nothing to do with corruption whatsoever and […] everything to do with design deficiencies. There’s 210MW in addition to improvements to the [plant performance] at Kriel that has nothing to do with corruption; it’s about the investment in the cooling towers. There is 1 000MW you can get from Kendal yesterday that has nothing to do with corruption, [and] everything to do with the fact that we can’t remain within the [emission limits], because we have not invested in the plant.”
During the same visit the Minister said; “The problems and challenges that we have had here are technical problems, they have nothing to do with so-called corruption. I am going to meet with labour [and] I am sure they will raise other issues. The issues that have been raised with me regarding the units that have gone out as a result of the structural integrity of the chimney and design components have nothing to do with corruption. [This has] everything to do with technical designs. There are significant modifications that they are making and I am happy with the modifications they are proposing.”
In early May 2023, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, to answer questions following former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter’s corruption allegations at the power utility. During the session Gordhan called the credibility of former police commissioner George Fivaz’s investigation into question and subsequently refused to name politicians alleged to be involved in Eskom corruption.
On 3 March 2023 the Mail and Guardian reported that; “Several high-ranking sources in Eskom and government have told the Mail & Guardian that everyone from the board of Eskom to ministers Pravin Gordhan, Gwede Mantashe and even President Cyril Ramaphosa were aware of not only the allegations but also the findings of investigations into the rampant corruption at Eskom.”
On 25 March 2023 Eskom chairman Mpho Makwana told Newzroom Africa’s Xoli Mngambi that it is impossible for 80% of Eskom’s employees to be corrupt. It would appear that Xoli failed to ask the next question which was for an estimate of just how many people at Eskom are corrupt then as it would appear from Makwana’s answer that he acknowledges that they ARE corrupt people at Eskom and just disagrees with the percentage.
Speaking to eNCA on 8 April 2023, Malekutu Motubatse, the NUM’s highveld regional chairperson, said that NUM members approach the union’s leadership with information about corrupt people and managers in Eskom power stations saying that NUM members know who is corrupt and know managers in Eskom who have private business interests. “We have names and surnames. We gave comrade Pravin Gordhan the names and surnames of managers that we know are corrupt,” confirmed Motubatse.