Eskom Executive Matshela Koko
Photo by: Duane Daws
Controversial top Eskom executive Matshela Koko submitted his resignation on Friday, but did not admit to any guilt.
This came out at his second disciplinary hearing, currently taking place in Sandton.
The hearing heard that Koko sent his resignation letter via email to the group chief executive of Eskom on Friday morning.
In the letter, which was read out at the hearing, Koko stated that he was resigning from the power utility without admitting to guilt.
Before Friday's hearing, Koko was adamant that he would not resign, saying he still had a crucial role to play at Eskom and that the state utility's lenders had been unfair in demanding his dismissal.
Back again
In January Koko had returned to his job at the power utility as Eskom group executive for generation, after being acquitted in an earlier disciplinary hearing related to nepotism involving his stepdaughter.
But he was again suspended in January after he refused to resign, as Eskom group CEO Phakamani Hadebe had requested him to do.
Getting rid of Koko was one of the demands lenders issued to the cash-strapped facility in order to access critical financing.
Hadebe in his papers denied that an ‘ultimatum’ had been issued to Koko, who alleged in his affidavit that Hadebe had given him 24 hours to resign on January 25.
Koko subsequently obtained an urgent Labour Court order to safeguard his position until he has been through all the legal steps for a fair dismissal, including a disciplinary hearing.
At his latest disciplinary hearing the Eskom executive is facing four charges, including misleading Parliament about the McKinsey/Trillian payment, leaking confidential Eskom information to a Gupta associate and accepting flights to Dubai from a Gupta ally.
It is not immediately clear whether or how Koko's resignation would change the course of the hearing.
Eskom spokesperson Khulu Phasiwe confirmed Koko had resigned.
"But Eskom still prefers that the disciplinary hearing should go ahead today as planned because believes that it has a strong case against Mr Koko," he told Fin24 on Thursday at 11:00.