Former Eskom board chairperson Zola Tsotsi has detailed how he was summoned to a meeting by former South African Airways (SAA) board chairperson Dudu Myeni over "concerns" about Eskom's deteriorating financial situation.
Tsotsi returned to the stand at the Zondo commission for a second time on Tuesday following his appearance last year.
He was asked about a meeting that took place in March 2015 where Myeni presented a plan to institute an inquiry into Eskom and suspend three Eskom executives.
Myeni was at the time the board chairperson at SAA and had no business relationship with Eskom.
Tsotsi said he was called by Myeni on March 7, 2015, that he needed to attend a meeting at former president Jacob Zuma's residence in Durban on March 8.
At the meeting, Tsotsi said he found Myeni and her son Talent. Another man, who was introduced as business consultant Nick Linnel, was also present.
Tsotsi said Myeni took control of the meeting and told him that there were concerns over Eskom's performance and as a measure to save the company then an external inquiry had to instituted and three Eskom executives had to be suspended in the process to avoid interference.
Those executives were then Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona, Matshela Koko and Dan Marokane.
Tsotsi said Myeni insisted that this inquiry was crucial. He said he was surprised that Myeni knew so much about Eskom at the time particularly because she had no involvement at Eskom.
Tsotsi said he was taken aback that executives had to be suspended as he feared this would lead to destabilising the company.
"I was very uncomfortable with the idea of suspending the executives," Tsotsi said.
Tsotsi explained that later on Zuma entered the meeting and enquired in isiZulu "what was up for discussion".
The former board chairman said Myeni then explained to Zuma that they were discussing Eskom's poor performance.
Tsotsi said Zuma then told him that he needed to go and test out the proposals to Eskom's board.
Tsotsi reluctantly agreed.
On Monday, the commission heard from former Eskom CEO Tshediso Matona. He told the inquiry that on March 8, after this Durban meeting, Tsotsi presented the very same resolutions drafted at Myeni's meeting.
Matona explained that most of the board's members were reluctant to agree on instituting an inquiry and asked for more time.
Two days later, another board meeting was held which resulted in the board agreeing to the inquiry and the suspension of Matona, Koko and Marokane.
Political Bureau