Cape Town – Group executive for human resources at Eskom, Elsie Pule, says the former CEO of the power utility, André de Ruyter, and other executives did not undergo security vetting, despite it being a Cabinet requirement.
Pule said this while addressing MPs serving on the standing committee for public accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday, The Citizen reported.
She said that vetting of the top management was the responsibility of the security high echelons, the board, and organs of the state.
“I am aware that some of our colleagues have been queueing to be vetted but, for me personally, I have not had issues with vetting.
“I am not aware of any vetting delays, except the interdependencies on authorities doing the vetting,” the report quoted Pule as saying.
When asked by the Scopa about who should have been responsible for De Ruyter’s vetting, Pule attributed the responsibility to the former Eskom board, the report said.
Meanwhile, Eskom’s head of legal, Mel Govender, told the committee on Tuesday that she would not have recommended the immediate termination of De Ruyter’s employment following a controversial television interview in February.
Govender said that nothing De Ruyter said in the interview brought Eskom into disrepute.
De Ruyter made bombshell allegations about corruption at the power utility during an interview with eNCA in February this year, and was released from his position as a result.
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In the interview, de Ruyter alleged high-ranking government officials were linked to the corruption and theft that had emptied the utility’s coffers.
However, when he appeared in front of Scopa, he refused to name a minister he linked to the corruption claims, telling parliamentarians that doing so would jeopardise ongoing investigations.
Last month Eskom board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, hit back at utterances made by De Ruyter, saying they were misleading.
Briefing Scopa in Parliament, Makwana said following the interview, the Eskom board met with De Ruyter and found that he had brought the organisation into disrepute.
“A good number of the allegations that were made misled the public as if there were new developments that had been shared firstly with the board, and that was not the case. Secondly, it would have misled the public in indicating as if there was no action taken internally by Eskom and all concerned (sic),” he said.
But according to EWN, Govender said: “My view is that nothing in the interview brought Eskom into disrepute. Nothing that was said is completely news to Eskom.”
Scopa is currently investigating corruption allegations made by De Ruyter, which have also been published in a book since his departure.
Govender suggested that De Ruyter should have been asked to provide the privately-funded intelligence report supporting the allegations before his contract was terminated, the report said.
She also questioned whether the termination followed a fair process. Govender reiterated that if asked, she would not have advised the board to terminate De Ruyter’s employment immediately.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
