Former safety and security minister Sydney Mufamadi addressing the media in Johannesburg on 16 April 2018. Photo: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Veli Nhlapo
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national security advisor, Sydney Mufamadi, is the latest person to refrain from naming individuals allegedly linked to corruption at Eskom.
Accompanied by his lawyer, Mufamadi appeared virtually before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Friday to give his side of the story in response to the various allegations by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter.
De Ruyter informed Scopa last month that Mufamadi was one of the government officials he gave information about the senior politician involved in alleged corrupt activities and organised crime at Eskom.
At the time, he also explained why he took a decision to commission an intelligence investigation, which was funded by private donors, into the power utility.
On Friday, Mufamadi said that he never received a copy of the private intelligence report referenced by De Ruyter, but instead he was only briefed by the former Eskom CEO during a meeting in July 2022.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and De Ruyter’s advisor were present at the meeting.
“If there was a hope that I would take the report to the president, such a hope was not expressed to me.
“My sense was that it was, correctly, a synoptic presentation of what was contained in the report. So there was no report that was given to me which I would then carry and handed over to the president,” he told the committee.
READ MORE: De Ruyter spilled the beans on TV before reporting crime to police – Scopa told
“What was said to us was enough to enable me to give advice, which I then gave namely that Mr De Ruyter must interact with law enforcement agencies,” Mufamadi said, adding that he did not ask for the intelligence report as he was not an investigating officer.
He also indicated he was not in a position to say which intelligence report Ramaphosa was referring to when the president made a reference to an “intelligence-driven operation” at Eskom that led to 43 arrests during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) earlier this year.
“The president receives reports from any of the intelligence agencies that we have. I wouldn’t know which specific report he was citing.”
Mufamadi refused to disclose the identities of the politicians who have been allegedly implicated in Eskom corruption.
“Was there any name dropping? Yes there was. I can’t remember various designations that were used. On one hand, I understand that Mr De Ruyter talks about high-ranking political office bearers, politicians and on the other he talks about a minister. It can at least say yes there was mention of a name or names.”
The advisor was asked by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Benedicta van Minnen whether he recalled the names.
“I do. But I don’t want to raise your hopes. I’m not prepared to mention those names,” he responded.
He insisted that it would be unfair to the said politicians to name drop them and could potentially jeopardise investigations by the authorities.
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“When names are mentioned in a context such as the one we are referring to, the advice that is given by me will say please interact with law enforcement agencies.
“You expect that once investigations take place, once investigators are satisfied that they have verified everything they need to verify they will need to make a determination who needs to be informed,” Mufamadi said.
“If I become excitable and start talking about the names of people I will either be doing an injustice to those people or undermining an investigation. I think from where you sit you will understand where I am coming from.”
He directed Scopa to ask the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on investigations into the matters.
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