Eskom board chairperson Jabu Mabuza has provided the state capture inquiry with details of a series of emails to show that the power utility was run by outsiders.
He told the inquiry on Monday that senior Eskom members shared the confidential emails with outsiders who, in some cases, were linked to the Gupta family.
Among those implicated were former executive Matshela Koko, former head of legal and compliance Suzanne Daniels and former board chairperson Ben Ngubane.
Mabuza testified that a day after Koko returned from suspension, he became "busy" and exchanged emails with one account: businessman portal1@zoho.com. Mabuza claimed the email belonged to Gupta-linked Salim Essa.
He also told the commission that on September 30, 2015, Koko sent an email to then Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown asking that advertising in the Mail & Guardian, Sunday Times and City Press be suspended, following exposés about shenanigans at the power utility.
He asked that advertising to be suspended with immediate effect.
"Interim board chairman Ben Ngubane was aware of the letter as it was stated that many SOEs had problems with the three newspapers," he said.
The commission heard that on November 14, 2015 Koko sent another email and attachment, titled: "Electricity load shedding review and the way forward". Parts of the email referred to various documents that were available to address load shedding.
Zondo intervened: "In 2008, the then government was warned eight years prior about load shedding and that certain steps needed to be taken to avoid blackouts. However, that government admitted that blame was on their side. Government of the time admitted that blame was on their side. We ought [to] learn from the past."
Another email Mabuza referred to was drafted by an outsider and sent to former Eskom CFO Anoj Singh, who later forwarded it to Koko. It was a request that Regiments Capital be prepared to be a supplier. No details of the service that would be supplied were given at the commission.
Mabuza also told the commission about an email in which financial guarantees were secured relating to Gupta-linked Tegeta. Eskom planned to enter into a coal supply agreement with Tegeta and the power utility agreed to pay R1.6bn in guarantees.
Mabuza urged the commission to call Koko, Daniels, Ngubane to testify, among others.
Zondo replied that some names were known to the commission's legal team.
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