Mabuza denies receiving a donation from US company General Electric

Deputy president David Mabuza on Tuesday denied that his foundation received any money from American company General Electric.

Mabuza dared those who had information in this regard to report the alleged donation to law enforcement agencies.

He was responding to a question from DA MP Tim Brauteseth, who wanted to know why South Africans should believe assurances that government was serious about fighting corruption when Mabuza's foundation allegedly received a donation from a company doing business with Eskom.

“The 'strategic donation' from General Electric, channelled via Eskom to the DD Mabuza Foundation, which seems to indicate the going price for overcoming pesky empowerment regulations, how will your reassurance today prove to be any different from your promises before?” asked Brauteseth.

“To the honourable member and to all South Africans, that has not happened. The foundation has not received any donation from Eskom, or any companies that are working for Eskom,” said Mabuza.

“The account for the foundation is open for everyone to scrutinise. If there is anyone who has got information to the contrary, we request that person to approach the law enforcement agencies. No money has been received in that foundation, nor has a request been made to any company to donate,” he said.

Mabuza said it would be “quite strange” that people could come and “just give you a donation, having not requested for that donation”.

“We want to put it very clear that, that matter does not exist, but if there is anyone, like the honourable member, he can approach the law enforcement agencies so that the right thing is done,” he said.

News24 reported last month that it was in possession of a September 2016 letter in which former senior Eskom executive, Frans Sithole, told General Electric that it would make a “strategic donation” of R30m to the DD Mabuza Foundation.

Mabuza was the premier of Mpumalanga at the time.

The publication said a multidisciplinary investigation by law enforcement agencies in SA and the US were probing the “strategic donation” to the foundation registered in Mabuza's name.

General Electric was a principal contractor for turbines during the construction of the Kusile power station in Mpumalanga, one of the biggest coal-fired power stations in the world. It was supposed to have been finished years ago, but is still not complete, with three of the six turbines remaining offline, the publication reported.

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