Ben Ngubane’s first speech ‘drafted’ by Gupta allies
The statement announced the departure of predecessor Zola Tsotsi from Eskom
Associates and business partners of the Gupta family appear to have drafted the first public statement issued by Ben Ngubane when he became acting chairman of Eskom two years ago. Even more damning was that Ngubane was announcing the departure of his predecessor, Zola Tsotsi, forced to resign by the utility’s board in the wake of his handling of the suspension of four senior Eskom executives in March 2015. On March 31, Nazeem Howa, Oakbay Resources CEO at the time, e-mailed Salim Essa, owner of consultancy Trillian Holdings, attaching a statement attributed to Ngubane. "Salim bhai. An amended version for your approval," wrote Howa, referring to "brother" in Hindi. He attached the document "Statement by Dr Ben Ngubane, chairperson of Eskom, on behalf of the board".This may be the first batch of concrete evidence showing the extent of the controversial family’s irregular involvement in the running and alleged capture of state institutions. In the statement, Ngubane announces Tsotsi’s ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.