DA leader, Helen Zille, says President Jacob Zuma must explain why he instructed Eskom's chairperson to launch an inquiry into the utility's performance.
In a statement, Zille said the President's personal intervention raises questions as to the motive for this.
She suggested that the answer may lie in the fact that the suspensions "followed shortly after attempts by Eskom executives to appoint an audit committee to oversee procurement processes for major contracts.
Zille says industry insiders believed this move "may have upset political interests benefiting from lucrative diesel and coal supply deals".
Earlier this month, Eskom suspended four of its top executives, with chairperson Zola Tsotsi announcing at the time that the parastatal's poor performance would be investigated.
