Minister Simelane Denies Being paid millions by an eskom contractor.

By: Bright Ntuli

Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, has dismissed claims that she participated in dubious activities during her tenure as an employee of Vitrovian, an Eskom contractor involved in the development and management of power infrastructure.

According to News24, Simelane was allegedly paid R700,000 to provide community liaison services for Vitrovian, with the goal of quelling protests at the Kusile power station, one of South Africa’s largest and most ambitious energy projects. The Kusile power station, located in Mpumalanga, has been plagued by delays and rising costs, contributing to public frustration and local protests over its construction and the surrounding environmental impact.

The company reportedly inflated charges and billed Eskom for work done by ghost employees, a practice that has been a point of concern in several corruption investigations involving state-owned entities like Eskom. Eskom, South Africa’s national electricity provider, has long struggled with financial instability and accusations of mismanagement and corruption.

Simelane’s spokesperson, Tsekiso Machile, has firmly rejected the allegations, labelling them as a desperate attempt to drag the minister’s name into controversy.

“These claims are baseless and part of a broader campaign to undermine the minister’s integrity and ongoing work in the Human Settlements portfolio,” Machile stated.

Eskom has faced significant scrutiny in recent years over its role in the country’s energy crisis, with the Kusile power station at the centre of investigations into procurement irregularities. However, no formal evidence has yet linked Simelane to any wrongdoing related to the alleged activities at Vitrovian.

The minister has maintained that her role was solely focused on facilitating communication between the community and contractors and has urged an impartial investigation into the matter.

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