Eskom Diesel Tender MWP2197GX: R3bn Prepaid Outside Contract Terms, Officials Disciplined, Hawks Referral

R3 billion (prepayments outside contract terms; R21bn tender)

documented loss

An independent forensic investigation into Eskom's R21 billion diesel procurement and storage tender MWP2197GX, delivered on 29 June 2026, found no missing diesel but confirmed that Eskom made roughly R3 billion in prepayments to suppliers outside contractual terms in 2025, granted immediate payment against a 60-day tender requirement, and approved emergencies in breach of its Delegation of Authority. Eskom launched disciplinary action and reported the matter to the Hawks.

The Record In Their Own Words The Evidence The Named What Was Lost Implicated Institutions The Paper Trail

The Record

Eskom burns diesel in its open-cycle gas turbines to keep the lights on when coal generation falls short, and in 2024–25 that diesel bill ran into tens of billions of rand. Tender MWP2197GX, effective 1 January 2025 and valued at about R21 billion, appointed suppliers including Severino Industries, Lanele Resources, Nutinox, Astron Energy, African Forwarding and Shipping and Vesquin (Vitol).

Eskom's Group Investigations and Security unit opened an inquiry in March 2025. An independent forensic firm's interim report of 15 May 2026 led Eskom to begin disciplinary action against procurement officials; the final report, received on 29 June 2026, confirmed the pattern: no diesel was missing, but Eskom had granted immediate (PN00) payment terms against a 60-day requirement in the tender, made prepayments to suppliers who lacked the cash to buy fuel upfront, approved emergency procurement in breach of its Delegation of Authority, and did not enforce the five-million-litre storage requirement. Daily Maverick itemised the prepayments at Nutinox R295 million, Lanele R1.297 billion and Severino R1.374 billion. On 28 August 2026 Eskom stated publicly that about R3 billion had been paid "outside of contractual terms", while its legal review found the award process itself was not shown to be compromised.

Eskom disciplined the officials identified, reported the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and undertook to hand over the final report after quality assurance. Severino's managing director described the prepayments as "necessary responses to urgent operational constraints"; Lanele denied receiving prepayments; Astron rejected any irregular benefit. Group CEO Dan Marokane: "Operational pressures do not diminish our obligation to comply fully with internal controls." The matter follows the Supreme Court of Appeal's March 2026 order that Eskom disclose R70 billion in coal and diesel contracts.

In Their Own Words

Exhibit A · The Defence

“Operational pressures do not diminish our obligation to comply fully with internal controls.”

— Dan Marokane · Eskom statement conceding R3bn in payments outside contractual terms · 2026-08-28

The Evidence

Named

Institutions

Sources

Sector: Energy & Electricity (Eskom, NERSA) · Scope: national

Alleged & Implicated

People documented as perpetrators, enablers, beneficiaries, orchestrators, political protectors, accused, or convicted in this case. Unless the case status is Convicted, allegations remain untested.