Eskom appointed Koko even though it knew his character defects

Matshela Koko

After his appointment Koko was warned by then board member Venete Klein that he was "on watch" and that if he defaulted on the human relations front he would be removed.

Klein presented evidence to the inquiry into state capture being conducted by Parliament's public enterprises committee.

While Klein would not go so far as to describe Koko as being "close to a Hitler", as evidence leader Ntuthuzelo Vanara suggested, she did concede that Koko had a reputation for mishandling people and for his erratic behaviour.

Klein admitted that when the board recommended the appointment of Koko as acting Eskom CEO to Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown, the minister was not told about his character flaws.

However, she denied that the minister had been misled, and explained the failure to inform her by saying that the board did not have many experienced candidates to choose from.

Also, "mitigating" action had been taken of highlighting his shortcomings to Koko after his appointment.

Vanara also questioned Klein extensively about a board meeting in March this year, held to discuss the Koko's suspension after allegations emerged that he had entered procurement contracts with Impulse International, in which his stepdaughter was involved.

Vanara's questioning related to the change in attitude between a midday board meeting - which agreed in the majority that Koko should be suspended - and a later meeting where he was given the opportunity to present his case in writing to then Eskom chairman Ben Ngubane.

Klein said she could not explain what had happened between the two meetings and could not confirm the testimony given last week by Eskom reputation manager Khulani Qoma, who claimed he had been told by acting Eskom chairman Zethembe Khoza that a phone call to a Gupta brother after the first meeting, and then to Brown, had led to Koko's suspension being put on hold.