Eskom's Backlog Intervention, Transparency and Consequence Management

Johannesburg, South Africa. Wednesday, 3 June 2026 – Public Interest SA welcomes Eskom's announcement that it has initiated a procurement process to appoint a panel of external forensic service providers to address its growing backlog of forensic investigations and accelerate consequence management across the organisation.

The announcement represents an important acknowledgment by Eskom that unresolved forensic matters have accumulated over several years and that additional capacity is required to ensure that allegations of corruption, fraud, misconduct, and other irregularities are investigated and finalised within reasonable timeframes.

Public Interest SA is particularly encouraged by Eskom's willingness to undertake an honest self-assessment of its internal constraints and to proactively address identified shortcomings.

Effective governance requires institutions to recognise when existing capacity is insufficient and to take decisive corrective action. Eskom's intervention demonstrates an appreciation that accountability cannot be achieved without adequate investigative resources and specialised expertise.

The organisation believes that this initiative reflects a maturing institutional commitment to consequence management and organisational integrity. Rather than allowing longstanding matters to remain unresolved, Eskom has elected to confront the challenge directly by expanding its investigative capability and accelerating the resolution of legacy cases.

Eskom's commitment to ethical leadership is further evidenced by its longstanding support of the Whistleblowers Awards & Summit, with the utility having partnered with the initiative for four consecutive years. This sustained support has contributed to efforts aimed at promoting ethical conduct, protecting whistleblowers, and fostering a culture of accountability in South Africa.

Importantly, the current intervention demonstrates that Eskom's commitment to integrity is not merely expressed in policy statements and public pronouncements, but is increasingly being translated into practical action. The decision to invest in enhanced forensic capacity sends a positive signal that the organisation is seeking to strengthen governance systems and ensure that wrongdoing is met with appropriate consequences.

While the appointment of specialist forensic service providers is a positive step, Public Interest SA emphasises that the true measure of success will not be the number of service providers appointed, but rather the number of investigations concluded, disciplinary actions implemented, losses recovered, and criminal referrals successfully pursued.

"The announcement is an encouraging indication that Eskom recognises the importance of timely investigations and effective consequence management. It is equally encouraging that the organisation has candidly identified capacity challenges and moved decisively to address them. Ultimately, however, the public will judge this initiative by its outcomes. Accountability delayed is accountability denied. The successful resolution of longstanding forensic matters will be critical to restoring confidence in Eskom's governance systems and commitment to integrity," said Tebogo Khaas, Chairperson of Public Interest SA.

Public Interest SA remains committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen ethical governance, combat corruption, protect whistleblowers, and promote accountability across both the public and private sectors.

ENDS