Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza will be the first witness to take the stand at the inquiry as it starts its investigation into state capture allegations at the power utility.
The commission’s legal team led by Advocate Vincent Maleka said Eskom would be the first state-owned enterprise to be investigated because of its important role and its complexity as well as its large revenue.
Maleka set out the timetable that will be followed regarding the Eskom phase of the investigation which is expected to take several weeks.
Mabuza is expected to wrap-up his testimony on Monday, February 25. Maleka says from Mabuza, the commission expects to get a sense of what the new board which was appointed last year is doing to clean up Eskom. Maleka said of interest was what the new leadership found when it first started.
On February 27 the commission will hear the testimony of Eskom employee Dan Mashigo.
The commission will also hear from an official from Glencore which was pressured into selling its Optimum Coal Mine to Gupta linked Tegeta. The official is expected to outline how the company was pressure through the issuing of section 59 notices and other operating pressures which resulted in it having to sell.
Former finance minister Trevor Manuel is expected to testify on February 28 regarding his knowledge of former minister Fikile Mbalula’s remarks in an ANC NEC meeting that he was approached by the Guptas who offered him a ministerial post.
On March 7 the commission will deal with another aspect of the Eskom saga which implicates Mckinsey. The company was paid millions for consulting work it did at Eskom which later came into question. Maleka said the commission has invited Mckinsey to submit a statement.
On March 11 the commission will hear from Standard Bank. The bank’s former head of legal Ian Sinton is expected to outline how it had noticed suspicious transactions and had closed some accounts because of unanswered questions.
A cyber expert is also expected to testify.
Maleka also presented Parliament’s report into its inquiry into Eskom. He said they would use it as a guide. He also informed commission chair deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo that the legal team would apply for those implicated in the corruption at Eskom to be summoned to appear or choose to willing come and answer to the commission.
Article sourced from Independent Online
