Revealed: Dudu Myeni, Jacob Zuma’s friend, a ‘key player’ in Eskom affairs #Zondo

By Bernice Maune 

It was at the behest of ex-Eskom chairperson Zola Tsotsi that Dudu Myeni attended a high-level meeting in March 2015 to discuss an enquiry and the suspension of Eskom executives, she told the state capture enquiry last year.

However, her former right-hand man, Nick Linell said this was not true, saying she was there as an insider and political ally of Zuma. Linnell is currently testifying at the Zondo Commission on his role at Eskom and on meetings he attended with Myeni, her son Thalente, Tsotsi and a man named Jabu Maswanganyi.

According to Linnell, Myeni was privy to knowledge about the inner workings of the power utility and helped to identify people who would be suspended, allegedly to make way for Gupta associates. Linnell, who said he met Myeni in 2012 through a colleague at the Richards Bay-based Mhlathuze Water board where they were both working, also explained that Myeni was a key player in Eskom affairs.


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He added Myeni actively participated in two meetings with Zuma and her assertion that she was there to support Tsotsi in his capacity as Eskom chairperson was false.

“My understanding in advance was to discuss the details of the proposed inquiry and to meet the president with regard to discussing the proposed approach to it.

“To my mind, Myeni is said to be a close confidant and political ally of the president. And the extent that she is also the SAA chairman is because she is a confidant and political ally of the president. So her role there was not as the chairman of SAA,” he told the commission.

Linnell also told the commission;

  • Jabu Maswanganyi had a dossier which had statistics on the performance of Eskom’s power plants and confidential data relating to the company’s output and financial standing.
  • Zuma knew exactly what would be discussed and insisted an enquiry should take place.
  • Linnell would be the co-ordinator of the enquiry.
  • After the meeting in Durban, everyone knew three Eskom executives would be suspended from Eskom
  • At a later stage, another name was added making it four Eskom officials (Dan Marokane, Tshediso Matona, Tsholofelo Molefe and Koko Matshela) to be let go.

Watch Nick Linnell testify at the Zondo Commission below: 

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