Corruption within Eskom, the South African electricity public utility, has been a persistent issue that has plagued the company for years. It has not only undermined the organization’s integrity but also had severe consequences for the nation’s economy and the general public. The scale of corruption within Eskom has been a matter of great concern, leading to investigations, legal proceedings, and a loss of public trust.

A couple from Mpumalanga is currently in hiding, not from the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), but from alleged hired assassins. Lloyd Sambo and Carol Sanderson are under the SIU’s scrutiny regarding a substantial R400 million Eskom contract. The incident occurred on May 8, when eight masked men forcefully entered their lodge, Casambo, outside Mbombela.

The intruders, armed with guns, broke into the house, threatening and physically assaulting Sambo. They fired a single shot and proceeded to ransack the premises, stealing various items such as a TV set, a TV game, car keys, cellphones, laptops, files, and clothing. The attackers fled the scene in the couple’s green Lexus, taking stolen goods worth approximately R970,500. The following day, after the couple had fled from the five-star lodge, another incident of looting took place on the property. Witnesses reported the presence of a white Range Rover without license plates near the lodge.

 

Earlier this year, the SIU, in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), obtained a preservation order on the couple’s assets, including Casambo Exclusive Guest Lodge, two houses, five cars, a golf cart, and a quad bike. The NPA revealed that their company, Tamukelo Business Enterprises, had won a R400 million tender to supply water trucking services to Eskom’s Kusile Power Station construction site from June 2009 to November 2020. The NPA suspects that various payments were made to both current and former Eskom officials by the company.