Johannesburg - The City Power board has confirmed that it has received official correspondence from the mayor of Joburg Herman Mashaba, that the city has instituted a forensic investigation to probe allegations of corruption and fraud.
City Power spokesperson Yumna Sheik said the board welcomed the mayor’s initiative and pledged its “full and unwavering support” of this process and to the appointed investigating company.
She said the investigators had arrived at the City Power premises on February 7 and started their duties.
“In the past four years, the board of directors, in conjunction with the current leadership, has developed and implemented a range of interventions to combat the scourge of corruption and fraud. The board has proactively investigated and successfully dealt with a number of cases across the company’s operations,” she said.
However, she said, the board would be interested to find out if its anti-fraud and corruption initiatives had missed any area of the utility’s operations.
“To that end, should the forensic investigation uncover any cases of irregularity, fraud or corruption, the board will deal with these cases in accordance with the letter of the law.”
Reverend Frank Chikane, chairperson of the City Power said: “City Power has a vested interest in the success of the investigation as its success would further bolster the ongoing fight against corruption and give credence to our zero-tolerance stance on maladministration and corruption. The board hopes that the forensic investigation will be conducted in a thorough, objective and impartial manner and within the full confines of the law.”
He said that the entity has a fiduciary duty to provide quality services and keep the lights on for the residents of Joburg during this investigation.
“We hope that the staff of City Power will go out of the way to continue providing quality services that the residents of the city have come to expect,” said Chikane.
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