Leaked Eskom inquiry report is invalid until Parly committee adopts it – chair

The leaked Eskom Inquiry report remains invalid until the public enterprises committee formally adopts it, chairperson Zukiswa Rantho has said.

Rantho was speaking to journalists following a multi-party caucus on the matter on Wednesday. Earlier this week, Rantho told Fin24 that the draft parliamentary report implicating Home Affairs minister Malusi Gigaba and former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown was leaked to Business Day.

The committee had not adopted the report, which was then meant to be sent to those implicated for their responses. Rantho called the leak “scandalous” and “embarrassing”.

“The committee said the leaked report is not our report. It belongs to the people who leaked it and those who have it in their hands,” she said.

Those who have the report have obtained a legal parliamentary document illegally, she said.

The report is yet to be finalised – and the committee plans to adopt it next Tuesday.

“It is going to be the first time we see the report, all of us,” she said.

“We will ask for extra hours from Parliament to adopt the report,” she said. “Until the committee adopts the report it remains an invalid report.”

The report will be given to those implicated to respond, if they want to, she explained.

No guarantee against another leak

Rantho said it could not be guaranteed that the finalised report would not be leaked, as the committee still does not know how the first leak took place. Rantho also said it would be a waste of time for Parliament to investigate the leak.

Gigaba has labelled the leak a smear campaign against him, and said he would approach the ANC and his lawyers on the matter.

Rantho said she had received no complaints. “I did not get written complaints except what was seen in the media. The minister (Gigaba) has not written anything to us. He did not phone me, he did not SMS me. He did not speak to me,” she said. — News 24