Daniels questioned about Eskom’s initiative to stop advertising with certain newspapers

CAPE TOWN – Zondo’s commission of inquiry into the state’s capture is investigating a decision by the Eskom board to stop advertising or any business relationship with the Mail and tutor, City press and the sunday time.

The decision, in 2015, followed newspaper reports of fraudulent conduct, mismanagement and corruption in state entities, including Eskom, Transnet and Denel.

The former head of legal and compliance affairs at Eskom, Suzanne Daniels, is being closely questioned about how the decision was made.

Daniels said he prepared a draft resolution for the board based on a similar resolution taken by the Transnet board.

Daniels said then-Eskom board chairman Ben Ngubane emailed him in September 2015 from an account linked to Gupta called Business Man. He complained about newspaper reports and said state-owned companies under the Public Companies Department should stop advertising investment with them and cease all business relationships until they provide proof of their allegations.

A resolution from the Transnet board was attached to this effect, which Daniels said he cut and pasted with a few changes to prepare a similar resolution to be taken by the Eskom board, per Ngubane’s instructions.

“There was actually a special meeting to discuss … I think it was described as the ‘media attack’ at the time and these specific posts were identified by the board as not favorable to Eskom.”

Daniels, who was a senior manager in the Ngubane office at the time, said he took Ngubane’s request at face value.

“Honestly, I had no reason to believe that there was something sinister about the president’s activities.”

Daniels is also expected to testify on the suspension of several Eskom executives.

WATCH: Zondo hears evidence from former Eskom legal director Suzanne Daniels

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