South Africa: SCOPA reports on Eskom, Medupi and Kusile (2019 and 2022)
- Parliament
- National Assembly, Parliament of South Africa 1
- Committee
- Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA), delegation led by Mr M Hlengwa (IFP) 1
- Report
- Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on its oversight visit to ESKOM and its infrastructure projects of Medupi and Kusile, 20 to 22 April 2022 1
- Date and reference
- Dated 25 May 2022, ATC220530 1
- Adoption
- The published text ends "Report to be considered". Adoption by the House was not confirmed 1
- Earlier report
- ATC191016, oversight visit of 26 to 30 August 2019, dated 16 October 2019, with 23 recommendations 2,3
What the committee reported in 2022
The report says Medupi incurred irregular expenditure of R355 million in 2020/21 and Kusile R27 million 1. It says "Fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R4.4 billion was incurred by Medupi and Kusile", including about R1 billion overpaid to ABB by Kusile 1. The report attributes these figures to the projects. It does not cite the Auditor-General for them 1.
The report gives R2.4 billion in damage from the explosion at Medupi Unit 4, with output reduced by about 700 MW 1. It dates the explosion to November 2021 in one section and August 2021 in another 1. It says about R1.5 billion had been recovered from ABB and R3.8 billion was being pursued against former directors and executives 1. It says only 13% of required regular unit maintenance was achieved 1.
The recommendations as numbered in the 2022 report
The committee resolved that "the Accounting Authority submits quarterly progress reports on the implementation of the above recommendations to the National Assembly", the first due 30 days after adoption 1. It resolved that "the Auditor-General should conduct a special follow-up audit into the matter of financial weaknesses of ESKOM" 1.
| No. | Recommendation (committee wording or summary) |
|---|---|
| 6.1 | "Carry out regular maintenance of Units." 1 |
| 6.2 | "Develop a clean-up operation plan and identify teams that may be resisting internal controls" 1 |
| 6.3 | "Employ adequately skilled personnel in the supply chain management unit at head office" 1 |
| 6.4 | "Develop a detailed action plan seeking to address poor procurement planning and poor governance structures", within 30 days of adoption 1 |
| 6.5 | "Establish, document and implement a fraud prevention plan." 1 |
| 6.6 | Put concrete measures in place to implement consequence management (summary) 1 |
| 6.7 | Keep the components of Unit 4 needed to get the unit running again in safe keeping (summary) 1 |
| 6.8 | Develop and follow a plan that gives some degree of skills transfer (summary) 1 |
Follow-up on the 2019 report
On 18 February 2020 SCOPA met Eskom on its 2019 report, which had 23 recommendations 2. The chairperson noted the 60-day deadline for vetting supply chain staff, managers and the board had lapsed in January 2020 2. Mr Bartlett Hewu, Eskom's interim Group Executive for Legal and Compliance, reported 608 fraud and corruption cases, of which 354 were completed, and 40 referrals to law enforcement 2. Mr Bheki Nxumalo gave the cost of Medupi as R145 billion and the cost to completion of Kusile as R161.4 billion 2. No Eskom board members attended 2.
On 19 October 2022 Eskom told SCOPA that nine of the 2019 recommendations had been implemented, including a records management system and the appointment of a chief procurement officer 3. Vetting was still in progress, with the State Security Agency facing backlogs 3. Board chairperson Mr Mpho Makwana said the board would report to Parliament quarterly 3.
Outcome as of 22 October 2026
- 2019 report: 9 of 23 recommendations implemented, according to the 2022 report 1 and Eskom's October 2022 briefing 3. No later count was found.
- 2022 report, 6.1 to 6.8: No public record found as of 22 October 2026. No quarterly progress report to the National Assembly was found.
- 6.7 (Medupi Unit 4): The report expected repairs by August 2024 1. Eskom told SCOPA in October 2022 it expected the unit back in September 2024 3. Its return to service was not confirmed from a primary source for this page.
- Auditor-General special follow-up audit: No public record found as of 22 October 2026.
Common questions
What did SCOPA recommend to Eskom in 2022?
Eight measures numbered 6.1 to 6.8, on maintenance, supply chain staffing, procurement planning, fraud prevention, consequence management, Unit 4 parts and skills transfer 1.
How many 2019 SCOPA recommendations did Eskom implement?
Nine of 23, according to the 2022 report 1 and Eskom's briefing of 19 October 2022 3.
Does the report find that named people committed fraud?
No. It reports expenditure figures and asks for plans and controls 1. A committee recommendation is not a finding of wrongdoing.
Who has to report back to Parliament?
The Accounting Authority, through quarterly progress reports to the National Assembly 1.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email [email protected] with the official link.
Sources
- Parliamentary Monitoring Group: ATC220530, Report of SCOPA on its oversight visit to ESKOM, Medupi and Kusile, 20 to 22 April 2022 (dated 25 May 2022)
- Parliamentary Monitoring Group: SCOPA, ESKOM update on SCOPA recommendations following oversight visit, with Deputy Minister (18 February 2020)
- Parliamentary Monitoring Group: SCOPA, Eskom progress and investigations, update with Deputy Minister (19 October 2022)
Related
- South Africa: Parliament's oversight of public money
How South Africa's Standing Committee on Public Accounts and the Constitution's oversight rules work, and where to find reports and Hansard.
- South Africa: SCOPA report on the SABC 2018/19 annual report and oversight (2020)
SCOPA's November 2020 report on the SABC, its 15 recommendations on procurement and irregular expenditure, and later audit outcomes.
- South Africa: implementation of the State Capture Commission recommendations
How the Presidency responded to the State Capture Commission in October 2022 and what its progress reports of 2023 and 2025 say about the 60 actions.
- How to track a recommendation
A step by step method for following one committee recommendation from report to government reply to outcome, with official links for six parliaments.