The Democratic Alliance (DA) is calling for accountability from State-owned utility Eskom executives involved in the R1-billion Koeberg saga, demanding that they appear before Parliament’s Energy and Electricity Portfolio Committee.

Eskom has been ordered by a high court to pay more than R1-billion to French nuclear energy company Framatome, after contract and project management problems delayed a steam generator swap at the entity’s Koeberg nuclear power plant, newspaper Business Day reports.

DA Spokesperson on Electricity & Energy Kevin Mileham said the DA will ensure that the payment is classified as fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

The DA has written to Energy and Electricity Portfolio Committee chairperson Nonkosi Mvana, requesting that the matter be placed on the Parliamentary agenda for urgent interrogation.

Mileham noted that the Koeberg’s Unit 2 shutdown in 2022 was supposed to last five months for refuelling and steam generator replacement, but Eskom later informed Framatome that it would not continue the work, prompting a breach-of-contract claim.

“Instead of acting transparently, Eskom arrogantly blamed Framatome and refused to engage with the adjudicator in good faith. That decision has now cost South Africans R1-billion. This money could have gone to fixing our failing grid or easing load reduction,” he highlighted.

Mileham described this as a “disaster”, claiming that it is part of a wider pattern of financial mismanagement.

“…just eight months ago, the DA highlighted the R840-million Wilge housing failure - another costly white elephant. In Limpopo, R250-million was wasted on abandoned housing projects. Eskom’s 2023/2024 financial year showed R24-billion in losses, including R6-billion in material losses and R5-billion in irregular spending,” he said.

Mileham stated that the DA will ensure that the Koeberg matter is resolved and that those involved are held to account.