Eskom is seen as the entity where the rot starts before it spreads to other state entities.
That's the damning view of ANC MP, Daphne Rantho, who chaired the Standing Committee on Public Enterprises' probe into corruption at the state-owned entity.
In wrapping up proceedings for 2017 earlier on Wednesday, before the Committee reconvenes next year, Rantho said that the reason why Eskom had been targetted was because of the big budgets that the power utility oversees annually.
"Eskom as a whole is seen as an entity where the rot starts, where the corruption starts before it can go to other entities. Eskom is the one that is seen as the most corruptible entity in South Africa. Because Eskom has got a big role to play, it has got a big budget. Therefore, people who want to misuse the resources of government they would see an opportunity in Eskom because of the big budgets that are there," she said.
Ranto said that the evidence presented before the Eskom inquiry to date, "raises serious questions about abuse of state resources.'
"The Committee is gaining a complete picture of the troubled state of affairs at Eskom. This includes evidence of serious governance failures, a clear abuse of state resources and the misconduct of senior officials in these matters," Rantho said.
"At this stage, the Committee will not make a final pronouncement on the evidence before it. However, the Committee is of the view that there is sufficient evidence to prompt actions to be taken by the Minister of Public Enterprises and the Eskom board to stop any further abuse of state resources."
"The Committee is committed to further interrogate the information and allow those implicated in evidence a fair opportunity to be heard before the Committee."
Meanwhile, the Committee had to deal with acts of intimidation against the evidence leader, advocate Ntuthuzelo Vanara, who deposed an affidavit alleging that the State Security Minister had offered him a bribe to stop the inquiry.
Rantho said she felt intimidated by the presence of Hawks officials in the Committee, who she said wanted her personal details.
She was also scathing about cabinet members who flatly refused to testify before the Committee after the Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Ben Martins said today that it was not necessary for him to appear before the Committee.
"It is unfortunate that our own colleagues did not respect the process because now we will have to subpoena them and we were trying to be as soft as possible so that we don't get to a point where we have to subpoena people. And, it is unfortunate that we have to start with a Member of Parliament to do that according to the resolutions taken at the Committee today (Weds)."
Rantho also thanked the ANC for giving her the opportunity to chair the inquiry.
