Gigaba adviser asked former Eskom chief to meet Guptas
Former Eskom boss Brian Dames tells state capture hearing he resisted Gupta family’s overtures
Former Eskom boss Brian Dames says he resisted early attempts by the politically connected Gupta family to capture the power utility. Dames appeared before Parliament’s public enterprises committee, which is probing allegations of the capture of parastatals including Eskom, Transnet and Denel. Dames, who was Eskom CEO between 2010 and 2014, said that during his tenure he had been asked to meet the Guptas by the adviser to Malusi Gigaba, who was public enterprises minister at the time. "I was asked [for a meeting] by the minister’s adviser, Siyabonga Mahlangu," he said. "It was somewhere in Midrand," and there was one other individual, "I assume one of the Gupta brothers." The meeting took place at Sahara Computers in Midrand, a company owned by the Guptas. "After the meeting I was angry and I called Mahlangu and I said, ‘You won’t bring these people again’." During the meeting, the Guptas had requested coal contracts and wanted to discuss The New Age newspaper deal, he said. "It was...
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