The board at State-owned electricity utility Eskom confirmed on Thursday that Advocate Ishmael Semenya SC had accepted its request to conduct an independent inquiry into claims of racism and abuse of power levelled against CEO André de Ruyter by suspended chief procurement officer Solly Tshitangano.

Tshitangano made his allegations in writing to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, which subsequently indicated that it intended investigating the matter.

The board said that, upon completion of the probe, Semenya would issue written findings and make recommendations to be pursued by the board against any specific individuals if any wrongdoing is found.

“Adv Semenya is free to request and to receive Eskom documents, and to consult with any witnesses deemed relevant and necessary for the purposes of this inquiry,” the board said in a statement, in which it recommitted itself to a transparent process and to providing updates at critical stages of the inquiry.

The board also requested that Semenya be given space to conduct the investigation unhindered, to enable him to complete the inquiry and issue his report at his earliest possible convenience.