Former CEO tells of Eskom battles for tenders

Former Eskom group CEO Tshediso Matona described on Tuesday how the governance and ethical environment at the parastatal had already begun to deteriorate when he took over as CEO in late 2014. There was also deep infighting within the board led by then chairman Zola Tsotsi over procurement issues, to the extent that it had become almost dysfunctional. Matona, who was Eskom CEO from October 2014 to March 2015, presented evidence to the inquiry by Parliament’s public enterprises committee into allegations of state capture of state owned enterprises. Tsotsi is also to be called as a witness. Approached to comment on suggestions that by getting rid of Matona and opening the way for the employment of his successor Brian Molefe as Eskom CEO he had laid the groundwork for the capture of Eskom by the Guptas, Tsotsi said he did not want to comment ahead of his presentation to the committee. "I will say what I have to say then," he said. Matona said that at the time of his tenure the morale a...