City Power employees implicated in million rand alleged extortion of electrical engineer
· Citizen
A former City Power employee-turned contractor has made damning allegations against three of his former colleagues.
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The complaint detailed how officials allegedly extorted and harassed him for several years, forcing him to part with at least R2.6 million since 2020.
Allegations were levelled at two male officials employed in the supply chain department and a female described as a “runner”, who has since moved municipalities.
City Power confirmed to The Citizen that it is aware of the claims and is awaiting action by the City of Johannesburg’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS). The GFIS is a specialised department tasked with combatting fraud, corruption, theft, and maladministration within the municipality.
Additionally, the man accused a senior journalist at a major publication of aiding the syndicate by publishing articles implicating rivals within the entity.
‘They live large’
The whistleblower requested to remain anonymous due to the danger facing his and his family’s lives.
In an affidavit shared with The Citizen, he detailed his relationship with the trio and the alleged threats made against him.
“They operate a criminal syndicate, manipulating tender processes and targeting successful bidders for extortion and threats,” the affidavit stamped by police on 3 April reads.
“I have wanted to open a case so many times. They told me I must not waste my time because they know police personnel and Hawks in high places who block it immediately because they are under their payroll,” the statement continued.
The complainant explained that earlier threats of professional stagnation became threats to kidnap his children, later escalating to alleged death threats after his refusal to meet their demands.
“Right now, I don’t move. I am scared right now. If they silence me, then this thing is not going to go far,” he told The Citizen.
He alleged that the men used a nightclub to launder the proceeds of their illicit gains and also own several residential developments.
“They live large. Their wives drive nice cars with this money. When they build their houses, they build [paying in] cash. They won’t show you any invoice,” the whistleblower alleged.
One suspended, one resigned
The identities of the trio are known to The Citizen and City Power, with the entity confirming two had already been implicated in previous corrupt activities.
“[One] is currently on suspension for a similar case where he is alleged to have interfered with contractors, among others,” City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena told The Citizen.
The other male is still carrying out his duties, and the woman identified as the “runner” had moved to a neighbouring municipality.
“[She] subsequently resigned after being found defrauding the city of revenue through intentionally bypassing a connection at her property, among others,” said Mangena.
“We take this matter very seriously and have requested authorities at GFIS to look into it, and are aware that the Hawks have also been roped in, and we will cooperate to assist their investigations.
“We are also conducting an internal investigation, and we won’t hesitate to act against anyone found to be in the wrong. The entity has zero tolerance for corruption,” Mangena concluded.
Alleged media threats
The latest alleged attempt to extort funds from the complainant was in November, when the trio apparently said they had arranged for the publication of a news article implicating the man in document fraud.
“I said what do they need, they said they need R1 million. I said I don’t have R1 million, I can try R100 000,’ he relayed.
Proof of payment shared with The Citizen confirmed the payment date and amount, and the complainant believed the matter was resolved.
He explained that the woman then contacted him in March, telling him they were “resuscitating” the news article on him unless he met their R1 million demand.
Unable and unwilling to make a payment, he was told a journalist would contact him regarding the article.
The complainant shared an audio clip with The Citizen of a discussion between himself and the woman, where the nature of the article and the journalist involved were elaborated on.
“Anyone they don’t like, they put under the bus using him. He is instrumental for them to get rid of anyone who is against them so they can loot the money at the company,” he alleged.
The journalist contacted the man days later, only to allegedly be told by the runner that he needed to meet the journalist in person.
The expected meeting between the man and the journalist did not take place, with the whistleblower later responding to questions through his lawyer.
Long association with City Power
The man has a long history with his alleged extorters, himself having worked for City Power for eight years after the entity paid for his electrical engineering studies.
He believes he was targeted due to that familiarity and his long association with the entity.
Admitting that he does not have the resources to protect himself, he has a growing suspicion that he will be targeted and does not wish to keep the information untold.
“For me, I didn’t write that affidavit because I wanted to report them; what was in my heart was to speak out.
“I didn’t want to open a case because these people know Hawks; they know people in the NPA. They told me straight from the get-go: ‘You don’t try us.’