A former Eskom manager, Duduzile Moyo, and her husband Mmoloki, have been banned from disposing of luxury property and vehicles in Silver Lakes Estates, Pretoria after it was allegedly procured through an organised crime network.

The NPA’s asset forfeiture unit (AFU) and the special investigating unit (SIU) obtained a preservation order to preserve a Mercedes Benz Viano and Chevrolet Utility belonging to the couple.

The order (dated November 9) by the Pretoria High Court’s Gauteng division prohibits Moyo, her husband and their two minor children from selling their preserved assets.

NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the duo had to keep the insurance payments, rates and taxes for the assets up to date, pending the finalisation of the forfeiture proceedings.

This is the second preservation order that had been served against Moyo. In September, the SIU obtained a preservation order to freeze her pension benefits after she handed in her resignation in the same month.

“She had received almost R25m from an Eskom vendor, Tamukelo Business Enterprise, which was appointed to transport raw material and water from the Kendal power stations to the Kusile power station.

“The order emanates from the SIU’s investigations into Moyo’s conduct in her role as Eskom’s supply manager/contracts manager/employer’s representative who contracted a business named Tamukelo.”

Mahanjana says while Moyo was contracted by Eskom, she signed 23 interim payment certificates in respect of Tamukelo’s services from December 2011 to July 2014.

“These contracts totalled about R138m,” according to Mahanjana.

She says the SIU probe revealed that Tamukelo and its representatives also paid entities linked with Moyo, whilst she negotiated and managed Eskom’s contract.

“The modus operandi employed by Moyo was to create structures or entities owned by members of her family and friends to receive these funds.”

Mahanjana says there was a clear conflict of interest through the awarding of contracts to Tamukelo.

“She received these funds in circumstances where part of her duties and functions were as a middle manager. Moyo was also part of a team that presented the negotiation strategy of the Tamukelo tender worth over R300m to the tender and procurement committee.

“She also deceived Eskom and repeatedly made fraudulent misrepresentations, declaring that there was no conflict of interest when dealing with Tamukelo and other role players for five years when signing Eskom’s annual declaration of conflict interest policy.”

Mahanjana says the preservation order is part of the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy aimed at eradicating corruption in South Africa.

It was authorised by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration in the affairs of Eskom and the conduct of Eskom officials.

The proclamation aims to recover any financial losses suffered by the state as a result of criminality.