The Special Investigating Unit has secured a preservation order from the Special Tribunal, freezing 17 immovable properties worth R76.5 million and seven luxury cars linked to businessman Siyabonga Moses Goodwill Nkosi, who is married to Instagram influencer Leleti Nkosi known for her luxurious lifestyle.
The order, granted by Judge B.M. Ngoepe, prevents these assets from being sold, transferred or hidden while the SIU seeks to set aside irregular contracts and recover public funds.
The SIU investigation, authorised under Proclamation R.80 of 2022, uncovered how Eskom officials at the Kusile and Matla power stations turned procurement into a jackpot. Between 2021 and 2023, officials approved inflated and irregular purchase orders for relays, which are equipment meant to keep power stations running.
Instead of delivering reliable service, Nkosi’s companies delivered invoices. Eskom officials signed off on contracts that priced relays at R50,000 each, when the market price was between R180 and R450. This manipulation resulted in a direct financial loss of more than R73.6 million to Eskom.
Eskom officials further split purchase orders to keep transactions below the R1 million threshold, abusing the informal tendering system and bypassing formal procurement processes. False part numbers were uploaded to Eskom’s systems to ensure only colluding vendors could bid, inflating costs for equipment that was never needed and remains unused in stock years later.
Nkosi is cited both personally and as trustee of the Nkosi Royal Trust, Sibongukukhanya Trust, and Siyabonga Kankosi Trust. The SIU says these entities became conduits for laundering Eskom’s procurement money into prime properties in top suburbs and land in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, and into luxury cars including Lamborghinis and Porsche Cayennes.
The preservation order allows the SIU to move towards approaching the Special Tribunal to review and set aside these contracts. The SIU has 60 days from the date of the order to launch proceedings.
The SIU will refer any evidence of criminal conduct uncovered during its investigation to the National Prosecuting Authority for further action. The SIU is also authorised to initiate civil proceedings to correct any wrongdoing and recover financial losses suffered by the state, including funds paid for services not rendered.