Employees at Eskom, South Africa’s power utility, have allegedly hired assassins to silence individuals exposing corruption within the organization.
One such case involves Dorothy Mmushi, an employee in Eskom’s forensics department, who reported a criminal syndicate operating within the organization.
Former Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer has highlighted crime and corruption as significant challenges at the power utility. He believes that addressing these issues is essential for Eskom to function optimally.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) is expanding its investigations into corruption at Eskom, including contractors and private companies involved.
The investigations have grown as more corruption is uncovered, ranging from employee-related cases to coal contracts, sabotage, and power station construction, including projects like Medupi and Kusile.
Eskom Holdings, the South African state-owned utility, has cancelled coal-supply agreements and construction contracts worth R11 billion as part of a crackdown on corruption.
Professor Hartmut Winkler from the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Physics suggests that the decrease in instances of sabotage may be the reason for Eskom’s improved performance during winter.