Lynne Brown’s longtime lover, close associate awarded Eskom contracts worth R1.2m – report

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown has landed herself into hot water, this time her longtime lover and a close associate have reportedly scored lucrative oil tenders from Eskom despite having no expertise in the industry, Sunday Times reports.

According to the report, E Smart Solutions, owned by Brown’s partner, Ingrid Tufvesson, and Michelle McMaster got two contracts worth R1.2 million in just five months this year.

McMaster is reportedly the mother of Brown’s former personal assistant, Kim Davids, and the company’s other director is Davids’s sister, Serisa Bernice Davids. The two contracts were to supply oil to Eskom’s transformers at 10 power stations.

“The revelation reinforces concerns that Brown has been protecting former acting CEO Matshela Koko — who in turn tried to buy her favour by channelling the contracts to Tufvesson’s company. Koko reportedly told friends that Brown would not dare fire him because he had dirt on her,” the report stated.

Tufvesson has apparently admitted this week that E Smart Solutions has no experience in the oil industry, saying the company was not in the oil business. While McMaster refused to answer questions, and referred all inquiries to Brown.

Sunday Times reporter Mzilikazi wa Afrika was threatened by Davids’ husband, Diogo Mateus, on the phone when he approached him for comment on the reported contracts.

“You are putting your life in danger. Consider that you’ve got a family, just think about them. My friend, I promise, you won’t see the sun shine again,” Mateus was quoted as saying before ending the call.

In August, Brown asked her former personal assistant to resign following reports that she had links to the controversial Gupta family accused of state capture. Brown said at the time, she felt the mounting allegations against Davids could compromise the legitimacy of her department, but said her decision was not an expression of guilt on the part of Davids.

Amabhungane and Scorpio have reported that according to the #GuptaLeaks, Davids was one of three people close to Brown who had links to the Guptas, including Tufvesson, and the director-general in her department, Richard Seleke.

The Times also reported that the large cache of leaked emails also showed how Davids visited Dubai in 2015, and her hotel bill of R32 000 was settled by the Guptas, but she has denied the allegations.

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