Parliament, Monday, 8 February 2021 – The Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Mr Khaya Magaxa, is outraged and dismayed by the report of fruitless and wasteful expenditure by Eskom, which was incurred in the building of accommodation for Eskom employees at Kusile power station.
The initial budget for the construction of the accommodation was R160 million and the building was halted when the expenditure reached R840 million. The project was abandoned and remains unfinished, while Eskom is alleged to have spent billions on rental accommodation and transportation for its employees. The 336 units were to be developed in the Wilge residential development project.
Mr Magaxa said, “We condemn this in the strongest terms and view it as a serious disregard for taxpayers money. There is a housing crisis in many mining towns and Eskom has a responsibility to be a catalyst for transformation in the communities within which it operates.”
“This should have been a legacy project that would serve as an example to many mining companies. We will be calling Eskom to appear before the committee on the 17 February 2021. We believe this matter must be investigated and action must be taken against all parties involved,” added Mr Magaxa.
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC ENTERPRISES, MR KHAYA MAGAXA.
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