JOHANNESBURG – A report into the capture of Eskom has suggested that the debilitating load shedding the country suffered in 2015 was self-created to enable the capture of the entity.
Forensic investigators analysed an email sent by former acting chief executive Matshela Koko to an unknown recipient that appeared to suggest that Eskom management previously made choices that contributed to the load shedding that was being experienced at the time.
"Looking back at the time of the load shedding, it is apparent that the Eskom executive the document (email) may be referring to, many have been the then acting group chief executive (GCE), Tshediso Matona who saw an unprecedented number of load shedding during his tenure," investigators said.
"It is also a known fact that when Molefe took over as Eskom’s acting chief executive and later appointed GCE, the load shedding ceased. Was load shedding a sabotage to get rid of an un-cooperating Matona and replacing him with Molefe who perhaps was willing and able to assist certain individuals?" asked investigators.
The investigators further stated that during our consultations with Matona he stated that it would not surprise him if it was established that the load shedding that occurred during his time as GCE was as a result of sabotage.
Matona was suspended from the role in March 2015 when the Eskom announced it would start an independent inquiry into the state of the utility, which was battling with the maintenance of its generators and had been implementing load shedding. Molefe was then seconded to Eskom in April 2015, following four years as GCE of Transnet.