Former Eskom executive Matshela Koko has accused President Cyril Ramaphosa of being behind his exit from the power utility in 2018, in what he described as interference in the affairs of the power utility.
Koko testified before the commission of inquiry into state capture on Thursday evening. He relayed how he was courteously informed by former deputy public enterprises minister Ben Martins about a move by Ramaphosa to have him removed.
Ramaphosa was the country's deputy president at the time and a former chairman of Optimum Coal, a company which was involved in a payment dispute with Eskom. Since August 2018, the inquiry, chaired by Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, has been hearing evidence of alleged corruption and fraud at state-owned enterprises, with a key focus on Transnet, SAA and Eskom.
"Part of what you have been focusing on is on interference and regulation... a deputy president interfered in the affairs of Eskom," Koko said in his opening statement to the commission.