Eskom CEO De Ruyter hits out racism accuser
André de Ruyter
A fallout between top executives at Eskom took a new turn, with the utility’s CEO accusing its now-suspended chief procurement officer of facilitating R8-billion of deals with a company suspected of fraud.
Eskom concluded the fuel oil supply contracts with Econ Oil & Energy even though a probe commissioned by the utility found there was reason to suspect its sole director, Nothemba Mlonzi, had a corrupt relationship with senior Eskom manager Thandi Marah. Both Marah and Mlonzi have declined to comment.
Solly Tshitangano, the procurement officer, has been charged by Eskom with “failing to investigate alleged overcharging and corrupt practices by Econ,” André de Ruyter, the utility’s CEO, said in a 29 March affidavit to the parliament’s public accounts committee. Tshitangano allowed the deals to go ahead “despite receiving legal advice that such contracts should not be concluded, and a request from me to heed
EXCLUSIVE | De Ruyter accuser allegedly extended irregular contracts worth R8bn to oil firm
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#Eskom contracts swapped for party funding
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(Bloomberg) Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.’s procurement department backed an 8 billion-rand ($549 million) tender to an oil blending and storage company while aware that the contractor was facing allegations of corruption, News24 reported, citing documents.
The contract awarded to Econ Oil & Energy Ltd. in 2019 had the support of the state-owned utility’s suspended head of procurement, Solly Tshitangano, the news website said. Eskom had been alerted following an internal probe that an employee had colluded with the oil supplier, News24 reported.
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Investigation finds Eskom contracts were given out in return for ANC funding
Eskom has been embroiled in numerous corruption scandals over the years. A recent investigation has uncovered further dishonest and suspicious activity, involving Thandi Marah. Then the senior manager of business enablement for the SOE, Marah allegedly interfered in a tender process. This allowed for Econ Oil & Energy to obtain contracts worth more than R15 billion, says Bloomberg. In return for the tender, Econ Oil director Nothemba Mlonzi made a number of payments – including a R100 000 contribution to the ANC – all at the request of Marah. According to Bloomberg reporters Loni Prinsloo and Antony Sguazzin, the payment was received by the ANC’s Liliesleaf branch in Johannesburg. ‘Marah was deputy chairwoman of the branch in 2014, according to Pat Sibiya, who served as its secretary at the time’. – Jarryd Neves