Johannesburg – The commission of inquiry into state capture on Tuesday insisted that it does not have time to investigate all allegations of corruption and malfeasance brought before it.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo reiterated the inquiry’s stance that it would confine itself to the issues contained in ex-public protector Thuli Madonsela’s 2016 state of capture report.
”If we were to investigate everything in the terms of reference, we would sit here for 10 years,” said Justice Zondo, adding that this would mean that the commission would have to investigate all government departments, municipalities and state-owned entities.
Justice Zondo said he would ask those matters they could not deal with be referred to other forums or law enforcement agencies.
Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko’s advocate, Frans Barrie SC, asked Justice Zondo how long it was going to take for his client to get access to the documents.
Justice Zondo said his inclination was that the commission should grant Koko access to as much information he requires and is entitled to.
Koko testified about an e-mail address he thought belonged to former Eskom chairperson Dr Ben Ngubane, which has now turned out to have been used by controversial Gupta lieutenant Salim Essa.
He said he would be shocked and flabbergasted if indeed that was the case.
”If the e-mail was used by Essa or somebody else, it makes me angry. It’s a serious security breach,” Koko said.
He said he never had the impression that there was a third party with access to the e-mail address that was not even part of Eskom as he understood it to be Ngubane’s.
”The more I talk about other people using this e-mail address, I get worked up,” said Koko, adding that as far as he was concerned, he was communicating with Ngubane through that e-mail address.
Koko also told the commission he is still of the firm view that he was suspended because of his relationship with another former Eskom chairperson, Zola Tsotsi, who Ngubane replaced.
The commission will continue hearing Eskom-related evidence when the power utility’s ex-chief financial officer, Anoj Singh, appears on Wednesday.
Political Bureau