Two Eskom employees have appeared in the Emalahleni Regional Court on charges of soliciting and receiving gratification linked to operations at the embattled Majuba Power Station in Mpumalanga.
Bongane Masina (43) and Rahab Pulane (45) , both safety representatives at the power station, are accused of demanding R60,000 from a trucking company in exchange for lifting an operational suspension. The case has been postponed to 26 April 2026 for further proceedings.
The Allegations
According to Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, spokesperson for the Hawks’ provincial Serious Corruption Investigation team, the matter dates back to September 2024.
A truck contracted to deliver coal to Majuba suffered a tyre blowout while en route from the mine. While the driver was still at the scene, another truck from the same minealso heading to the power stationcollided with the stranded vehicle.
Following the accident, Eskom suspended the trucking company’s operations pending an internal investigation.
It was at this point, Nkosi alleges, that Masina and Pulane entered the picture.
“They approached the owner of IZICWE Trucking Company and demanded R30,000 to ‘negotiate’ the company’s return to operations,” Nkosi said.
The owner allegedly deposited R30,000 into the two employees’ accounts. When the matter remained unresolved, the pair reportedly demanded a further R30,000 as gratification.
The Investigation
Feeling pressured and unable to secure a resolution despite the payment, the truck owner reported the matter to authorities. The Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team traced the flow of funds, allegedly linking the payments directly to the two Eskom employees.
On 8 February 2026, Masina and Pulane were served with notices to appear in court. They made a brief first appearance on 13 February.
The Context
Majuba Power Station is one of Eskom’s largest and most critical facilities, but it has also been a site of repeated operational failures and corruption scandals. The station has struggled with breakdowns, coal supply issues, and maintenance backlogs that have contributed to load-shedding.
The latest allegationsgratification demanded from a trucking company already reeling from an accidentpaint a picture of a culture where access and operations are monetised by those entrusted with oversight.
Nkosi emphasised that the investigation forms part of “ongoing efforts by the Hawks to clamp down on corruption involving state-owned entities.”
What’s Next
The case has been postponed to April to allow for further investigations and procedural steps. Both accused are expected to remain out of custody pending their next appearance.
For Eskom, already battling to stabilise the grid and restore public trust, the allegations are another blow. The utility has not yet commented on the matter or indicated whether internal disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against the two employees.
The Bigger Picture
The Majuba case is a microcosm of Eskom’s deeper dysfunction: a system where operational decisionslike whether a trucking company can deliver coalbecome opportunities for extraction. When safety representatives, tasked with ensuring compliance, are alleged to be the ones demanding payment to lift suspensions, the line between oversight and predation disappears.
For the trucking company owner who reported the matter, the courage to come forward may have been costly. For the Hawks, the case is a test of whether corruption at state-owned entities can be prosecuted with the urgency it demands.
The April court date will bring the next chapter. But the underlying questionhow many more such arrangements operate unseen at Eskom’s facilitiesremains unanswered.
