The Guptas have been helped to buy the Optimum mine through a pre-payment of R659m by Eskom, said Glencore’s former head Clinton Ephron.
Eskom’s fingers were further in the negotiations by fining Optimum Coal with R2.1bn for so-called low-grade coal supply.
This forced Optimum Coal to go into business rescue. The rumours are that Eskom has not charged any fines against Tegeta’s Brakfontein mine for their low-grade coal supply.
Ngoako Ramatlhodi was dismissed as Minister of Mining and replaced the Gupta candidate Mosebenzi Zwani.
Read the original article in Afrikaans on Die Vryburger
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