Minister Thembi Simelane on News24 article about money paid to her by Eskom contractor

The Minister of Human Settlements, Thembi Simelane, has noted with dismay the article written by News24 on 31 March 2025, the article seeks to suggest that the Minister during her tenure as an employee of Vitrovian, an Eskom contractor which was doing work for Kusile Power Station under Kusile Civil Works Joint Venture (KCW JV) participated in dubious activities of inflating prices for community liaison work by Vitrovian as alleged.

The Minister wishes to dismiss these claims with the contempt they deserve and views them as a desperate attempt to draw her name in controversies for sensationalization.

The office of the Minister can confirm that the Minister was an employee of Vitrovian in 2011 as a Project Director for seven months and was remunerated for the work she performed for the period she stayed at Vitrovian until she left. Notably, the Minister can categorically state that she was not responsible for the contractual obligations of Vitrovian, and it is malicious for News24 to paint a picture that she might have been involved in any alleged activities or operations of price inflations as a mere employee of the company.

Minister Simelane restated her earlier utterances and said, “once again, I hasten to correct the misconception that the position of project director would have in anyway allowed me to enjoy intimate knowledge of the company’s financial transactions with Eskom or any client of the company, this assertion is simply false and is bordering on gutter journalism.”

Enquiries: Tsekiso Machike, Spokesperson to the Minister 
Cell: 077 410 5050 
E-mail: Tsekiso.machike@dhs.gov.za