SA Energy Forum want Busi Mavuso, Eskom board to go back to Scopa to account

The SA Energy Forum has called on Parliament’s select committee on public accounts (Scopa), to give Eskom non-executive director Busi Mavuso and the parastatal board a fresh opportunity to make representations.

This after Scopa-chair and IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa attacked Mavuso when she appeared to blame the ANC-led government for the ongoing power crisis.

“It is quite unfortunate that Ms Busi Mavuso seemed to try to avoid giving answers to Scopa Chairperson by citing “they as Eskom Board must not be made the fall guy. This is the ANC-led government mess,” said SA Energy Forum Executive Director Hlathi ‘Zakhele’ Madela.

“What gives comfort is that Busi Mavuso shows that she is willing to address the real core problem of why the Eskom board is unable to abate and arrest the persistent load shedding and unable to turn around its business to be self-sufficient.”

The forum and its allies are calling on Hlengwa to allow Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter, Group Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jan Oberholzer, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Calib Cassim and all 15 power station managers to present reports to the committee.

“Furthermore Eskom power station managers must avail themselves to Scopa to explain to South Africans why Eskom is unable to stop load shedding,” said Madela.

But even more, pressing according to Madela, is that cash-strapped Eskom must account for why it hasn’t been able to recover large amounts of money still owing from payment errors (R4 billion), an insurance payment (R3.5 billion), and another R178 billion that was allegedly stolen by 79 contractors at the Medupi and Kusile power stations.

Eskom has denied that it ‘mistakenly’ paid a contractor R4 billion.

In 2016, Gupta-linked Trillian acted on behalf of Eskom to settle a R5 billion insurance claim ­following an explosion at Duvha power station that wiped out 600MW.

“A total of R185.5 billion that this current Eskom board is turning a blind eye on to recover from the thieves and it is not clear if this Eskom board is doing anything to assist the NPA, SIU and the Hawks to expedite the recovery of this much-needed R185.5 billion,” said Madela.

Meanwhile, the DA’s Natasha Mazzone has called on Parliament to investigate Hlengwa’s behaviour in the Scopa meeting.

“The DA demands a full apology to be sent to Mavuso for being thrown out of a meeting where she was asked to give an honest opinion; and for Hlengwa to be reported to the Powers and Privileges Committee for a full investigation into his behaviour,” said Mazzone.

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