The Democratic Alliance (DA) will ask Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane to investigate Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown for any role she played in awarding lucrative oil contracts worth R1.2-million from Eskom “to her lover and close business associate” despite their lack of expertise in the oil industry, the DA said on Sunday.

The DA would also refer Brown to parliament’s ethics committee, to appear before the committee and explain how the company with no experience in the oil industry was awarded contracts with Eskom, DA spokesperson Natasha Mazzone said.

“The DA trusts that the committee will ensure that minister Brown is taken to task if there was any illegal and corrupt behaviour on her part.

“Minister Brown seemingly allowed her relationship with her partner Ingrid Tufvesson and Michelle McMaster, the mother of Brown’s former personal assistant Kim Davids, to influence the awarding of these contracts to supply oil to Eskom’s transformers at 10 power stations. Even more shocking is that the two contracts worth R1.2-million were awarded in a matter of just five months this year,” Mazzone said.

This was a serious indictment on Brown and raised serious questions about her fitness to hold office as she had seemingly allowed her close associates to conduct business in an unethical way. E Smart Solutions had no experience in the oil industry and was only registered to deal with academic projects.

“There must be harsh consequences for selling off contracts with absolute impunity as this is ultimately to the detriment of our people who are suffering daily. The ordinary South Africans deserve a clean and accountable government, not one where politicians simply enrich themselves and those closest to them at the peoples’ expense.”

Brown’s reluctance to ensure that the Eskom board instituted disciplinary action against former acting CEO Matshela Koko was clear indication that she was beholden to him. Koko, who was suspended in August for allowing contracts of over R1-billion to be awarded to a company co-owned by his stepdaughter, reportedly told friends that “Brown would not dare fire him because he had dirt on her”.

Brown seemed to have a conflicting idea of what her mandate was and the blame for all the scandals that had rocked Eskom had to be laid squarely at her door.

“She has failed dismally in her role as minister. Her display of detachment from serious matters concerning the power utility proves difficult to find her credible as a minister. The DA will not step back and watch in horror as ordinary citizens bear the brunt of the ANC government’s corruption. The DA will ensure that minister Brown fully accounts for her questionable conduct,” Mazzone said.