The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) today met with the former South African Police Services (SAPS) Brigadier Jap Burger to discuss the allegations of corruption, fraud and maladministration at Eskom, which were made by the former Eskom Group Chief Executive Officer (GCE), Mr Andre de Ruyter, when he was still at Eskom.
The committee met with Mr de Ruyter on 26 April 2023 to discuss his allegations, at which time Mr de Ruyter named law enforcement and intelligence agencies that he had engaged with personally to report his allegations. He also shared with them a privately funded report arising from an information-gathering exercise on Eskom.
On 9 May 2023, the committee met with these law enforcement, anti-corruption and intelligence agencies. During this meeting, insights were shared by the South African Police Service (SAPS) National Commissioner who disclosed that Brigadier Burger had met with Mr de Ruyter to discuss his allegations. This was further confirmed by the head of security at Eskom in a committee meeting on 10 May 2023.
Brigadier Burger’s meeting with Mr de Ruyter occurred in August 2022, during which the Brigadier allegedly sought specific information on areas of criminality within Eskom.
On 7 June 2023, the committee held a follow-up meeting with the SAPS National Commissioner and the Special Investigating Unit, with a keen interest in hearing from Brigadier Burger in light of the many references to him and his knowledge of the information-gathering exercise at the national power utility. Unfortunately, however, Brigadier Burger did not attend this meeting.
The committee then resolved to invite Brigadier Burger to a meeting on 12 September 2023. In response to the committee’s invite, the National Commissioner disclosed that Brigadier Burger had retired at the end of June 2023 and would not be appearing before SCOPA at that time, as he was fully engaged for the month of September 2023.
The committee subpoenaed Brigadier Burger to appear before it today and he appeared and cooperated with it. In its engagement, the committee wanted to understand the extent of his knowledge regarding the allegations made by Mr de Ruyter and to disclose any action he took in response.
Brigadier Burger told the committee that he did not receive any intelligence report arising out of a privately funded investigation. The bits and pieces of broad information that he did receive were not validated and there was therefore nothing further he could do. He passed the information he obtained to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
The committee thanked Brigadier Burger for appearing before it and for his cooperation. It has now reached the end of its investigation and will meet in two weeks’ time to discuss the way forward and compile a report on its investigation.
Enquiries:
Mava Lukani
Cell: 081 503 1840
Email: mlukani@parliament.gov.za
Issued by
More on
More from
