Parliament has opted against forming an ad hoc committee to probe allegations of widespread corruption and criminal cartels at Eskom, arguing that the recent appointment of Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa and the current oversight committee are sufficient to oversee current energy challenges.

Following former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter’s explosive television interview, where he made claims of corruption at the State entity, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen brought the motion to inquire into the allegations of widespread corruption and criminal networks and cartels at Eskom.

201 parliamentarians voted against the formation of the committee, while 115 voted for the motion.

The DA leader brought the motion, in terms of Rule 253, to inquire into the full extent of the alleged widespread corruption and unabated operation of criminal networks and cartels at Eskom.

It remains to be seen whether the Ministry of Electricity will be able to deal with energy issues as the country and its economy continue to suffer from more than 100 days of consecutive loadshedding.