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Dudu Myeni has been given one week to appear before Parliament’s inquiry into the mismanagement of state funds at state-owned enterprises.
Despite numerous invitations, Myeni – the former South African Airways board chairperson – has failed to appear before the Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises.
This time she cited health reasons.
Myeni snubbed the committee last Wednesday too, when she failed to avail herself for the proceedings and chose instead to send the committee a text message notifying them of her absence.
The chairperson of the inquiry, Zukiswa Rantho, said she talked to Myeni – who had been booked off sick by her doctor.
Myeni apologised to Rantho for not appearing before the committee, saying she had sent a written submission to the inquiry.
“Committee members said it was unacceptable for Ms Myeni to only submit a written submission. It is in Ms Myeni’s own best interests to appear before the inquiry, as serious allegations have been levelled against her,” the committee’s media officer, Yoliswa Landu, said on Wednesday.
She also said the onus was on Myeni to go to the committee, not the other way around.
“If the committee were to fly to Johannesburg to accommodate Ms Myeni, this would set a bad precedent. The committee resolved to give Ms Myeni until next week Wednesday to appear before the inquiry and she must submit a doctor’s certificate.”
Myeni, who was replaced as chairperson of the loss-making state-owned airline in October 2017, was expected to shed some light on testimony given by former Eskom board chairperson Zola Tsotsi.
In testimony before the inquiry late last year, Tsotsi implicated Myeni in state capture at Eskom.
He told the inquiry that she called him to a meeting with then-president Jacob Zuma in March 2015 to discuss the suspension of three executives at the power utility.
“I was called by Dudu Myeni. She said that I should avail myself for an audience with the president, and declined to discuss any details over the phone.”
Tsotsi went on to claim that on the agenda were Eskom’s three executives at the time – acting chief executive Tshediso Matona, group executive for group capital Dan Marokane, and group executive for commercial Matshela Koko – who according to Myeni had to be suspended.
The former Eskom board chairperson also claimed that Zuma was present during this conversation.
