E-mails and investigative reports contained in a trove of documents detailing corruption in the Kusile power station construction project show that senior Eskom officials received a slew of apparent kickbacks - including fees paid to a top Pretoria private school.
An e-mail conversation between Eskom's former senior capital contracts manager France Hlakudi and Dianah Motlou, who was in charge of contracts at the still-incomplete mega coal-fired power station in Mpumalanga, appear to show the two colluding with contractors who received billions of rands in tenders from the power utility.
An investigation by law firm Bowmans, which began in 2018 and whose findings are contained in documents leaked to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, alleges that Motlou benefited from these "illicit payments".
Two companies, Babinatlou and Tubular Construction Projects, are alleged to have paid a combined R46,000 towards her daughter's school fees at a private school attached to a posh golf estate in Pretoria.
Babinatlou "paid funds into the bank account of Ms Motlou's minor daughter, allegedly utilised for lease payments as a favour for Mr Hlakudi. Tubular, an Eskom vendor, paid R26,000 towards the school fees of Ms Motlou's daughter," Bowmans investigators say in their report.
According to an e-mail exchange between Hlakudi and Motlou, which the Sunday Times has seen, Hlakudi appears to have had in his possession proof of payment by Tubular Construction Projects of Motlou's daughter's school fees.
On December 2 2015, Hlakudi wrote to Motlou to say: "Hi Dianah, Have proof of payment but people are too many at the printer … Will wait a bit and send to you."
The proof of payment found by investigators on Hlakudi's computer showed a R26,000 payment to the school.
Further investigations indicated that another subcontractor contributed a further amount.
"A subcontractor of the … contract, which Ms Motlou managed, also paid R20,000 towards the school fees of Ms Motlou's daughter. Ms Motlou, a contract manager at Kusile, was identified as a beneficiary of illicit payments during our investigation into France Hlakudi," Bowmans says in its report.
"Ms Motlou was a close associate of Mr France Hlakudi, former senior manager … who was involved in numerous illegal activities. She conducted private business activities during Eskom time and using Eskom resources without the required approval."
Motlou, who was found guilty during a disciplinary hearing, did not respond to several requests for comment this week.
Special Investigating Unit (SIU) spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago has referred Motlou's case to the National Prosecuting Authority for prosecution.
In response to the allegations, Hlakudi did not address his own alleged role in the scandal but said he had seen "Bowmans' letter and to the best of my recollection it was used by Eskom to crucify Ms Dianah Motlou without giving her a chance to have legal representation in the hearing . There are always two sides to the story," he said.
Hlakudi said he believes Motlou's daughter was assisted with her school fees "in the form of a bursary or loan".
Hlakudi claimed the allegations contained in the Bowmans reports were orchestrated by a former Eskom executive to deflect attention from his own wrongdoing.
News24 reported this week that the contracts of four major companies contracted to Eskom - including Stefanutti Stocks, Esor Construction, Tubular Construction Projects and Tenova Mining and Minerals - increased dramatically from R4bn to more than R11bn in just under eight years.
It is alleged that R100m of this was paid in kickbacks to Eskom managers, some of whom have since been charged with fraud and corruption, and others of whom were, like Motlou, fired following disciplinary hearings.
Bowmans investigators allege that Hlakudi, through his company Hlakudi Translation Interpretation (HTI) as well as the company called Babinatlou led by businessman Maphoko Kgomoeswana, received payments from Eskom suppliers.
Motlou's alleged corruption forms part of the SIU investigation into graft at Eskom. She was found to be a director of a company called HT and SBE Investments with one of Hlakudi's close family members. It allegedly received cash transfers from Babinatlou of at least R1.5m.
It is also alleged that Babinatlou, which is being investigated for fraud and corruption, was funded by various Eskom contractors. Kgomoeswana is facing money-laundering charges in addition to the corruption charges against his co-accused Hlakudi and Eskom's former executive for group capital, Abram Masango. All have indicated that they will plead not guilty.
"Our preliminary findings to date indicate serious misconduct on the part of Ms Motlou, which includes possible corruption which is being investigated by the SIU," the Bowmans report says.
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