Zuma says he's still waiting for SIU proclamation for Eskom probe

Cape Town – President Jacob Zuma said he has not yet received a proclamation notice relating to an investigation into Eskom from the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).

He was responding to a question from Cope member of Parliament Deirdre Carter, who asked Zuma to furnish details about what such an investigation would entail.

Fin24 earlier quoted the SIU as saying that it would prioritise the investigation into allegations of corruption and state capture at the power utility, after having received all the necessary documents from the Department of Public Enterprises.

In a statement issued on October 2, the SIU said the scope of the investigation had been completed and a proclamation would be issued in due course.

In accordance with the law, the president needs to sign the proclamation that will authorise the SIU to investigate corruption and state capture allegations. 

Nazreen Pandor, head of communication and stakeholder management at the SIU, told Fin24 by e-mail on Friday that SIU legislation requires a proclamation prior to the start of any investigation.

"The process of obtaining this proclamation requires a motivation which we draft and submit to the Department of Justice. This motivation is then forwarded onto Presidency."

She confirmed that the motivation for the proclamation has been submitted to the Department of Justice.

At the time of publication, the Department of Justice could not be reached for comment. 

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown in May launched a full-scale investigation into Eskom, with the assistance of the SIU and a retired judge.

READ: Brown to launch own full-scale probe into Eskom 

Brown wanted the investigation to have a broad scope in order to review all seven reports emanating from previous investigations, including coal procurement processes and 2016's state capture report by former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.

The department has a memorandum of understanding with the SIU to review all allegations, and the retired judge will make recommendations on the remedial action that needs to be taken.

However, the SIU investigation into Eskom can only begin once Zuma has signed the proclamation. News24 earlier reported that Zuma took three months to sign a proclamation that authorised the SIU to investigate maladministration and corruption claims at the SABC.

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