JOHANNESBURG - South African President
Cyril Ramaphosa has ordered the country's Special Investigating
Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of maladministration at state
run-power utility Eskom and logistics group Transnet, the
government said on Friday.
Ramaphosa, who replaced former president Jacob Zuma in
February, has made the fight against corruption a key plank of
his administration as he seeks to restore investor confidence
after the scandal-plagued Zuma era.
The announcement of the probe was published in the
government gazette.
The SIU, which investigates malpractice in state
institutions, state assets and public money, will investigate
among other things, "unauthorised, irregular or fruitless and
wasteful expenditure" incurred by Eskom and Transnet.
Eskom has been embroiled in allegations of corruption
relating to a 1.6 billion rand ($130 million) contract that
global consultancy McKinsey worked on with Trillian, a local
company that was then controlled by Gupta family who are accused
of using their access to Zuma to win state contracts.
Zuma and the Guptas have denied any wrongdoing
Transnet, which is also state-owned, has been investigating
irregularities in the awarding of a 54 billion rand ($5 billion)
contract to acquire locomotives in 2014.
Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe said: "This matter has been a
long time coming and we are happy that the SIU is starting this
process."
Transnet was not immediately available for comment.