{"id":111247,"date":"2026-03-23T09:46:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T09:46:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/?p=111247"},"modified":"2026-03-23T11:16:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T11:16:38","slug":"afriforum-secures-decisive-final-victory-in-eskom-coal-contracts-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/en\/afriforum-secures-decisive-final-victory-in-eskom-coal-contracts-case\/","title":{"rendered":"AfriForum secures decisive final victory in Eskom coal contracts case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Morne-Mostert_23-March-2026_ENG.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><em>Soundbite: Morn\u00e9 Mostert (English)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Morne-Mostert_23-Maart-2026_AFR.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Soundbite: Morn\u00e9 Mostert (Afrikaans)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>AfriForum has just secured a decisive and final victory over Eskom that will finally lift the veil of secrecy surrounding the power utility\u2019s coal contracts. This comes after the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein has just rejected Eskom\u2019s attempt to overturn a 2024 court ruling, with costs. In terms of today\u2019s ruling, all active Eskom contracts relating to the purchase, transport and distribution of coal and diesel, and the utility\u2019s contracts for the supply of electricity to neighbouring countries, must now be made available to AfriForum.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria dismissed Eskom\u2019s refusal to provide access to its coal and diesel contracts under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) in March 2024. At that time, Eskom had already been ordered to provide copies of all relevant contracts to the civil rights organisation. The power utility subsequently approached the Supreme Court of Appeal and argued that the refusal to provide access to the contracts was done to protect commercially sensitive information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the court rejected this argument. This reaffirmed the High Court\u2019s finding that the disclosure of information of this nature is permissible under PAIA legislation. Judge Elizabeth Baartman emphasised that \u201c[t]he public, in whose interest Eskom concludes these contracts, has a right to access them.\u201d She further supported the High Court\u2019s finding and stated: \u201cIt follows that I cannot fault the high court\u2019s finding that there is nothing to support the allegation that the agreements are confidential, contain information that is commercially sensitive, and would disadvantage Eskom or third parties in contractual negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Morn\u00e9 Mostert, Manager of Local Government Affairs at AfriForum, it will now be possible to finally investigate, almost four years since the organisation originally submitted its PAIA application to Eskom, whether the coal and diesel contracts are market-related and legally concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEskom procures more than 100 megatons of coal annually, making it one of its largest expenses. Considering documented irregularities regarding Eskom\u2019s procurement processes, findings of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture and detailed shortcomings in Eskom\u2019s own financial statements, transparency regarding these contracts is essential,\u201d Mostert emphasises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AfriForum will in the meantime assemble a team of experts to study the contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div data-wp-interactive=\"core\/file\" class=\"wp-block-file\"><object data-wp-bind--hidden=\"!state.hasPdfPreview\" hidden class=\"wp-block-file__embed\" data=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260323-Judgment-appeal-dismissed-with-costs-20260323-1.pdf\" type=\"application\/pdf\" style=\"width:100%;height:600px\" aria-label=\"Embed of 20260323 Judgment (appeal dismissed with costs) 20260323.\"><\/object><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-c2fbf4c7-18d8-4efd-9469-03f32417e6c8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260323-Judgment-appeal-dismissed-with-costs-20260323-1.pdf\">20260323 Judgment (appeal dismissed with costs) 20260323<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artikels.afriforum.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/20260323-Judgment-appeal-dismissed-with-costs-20260323-1.pdf\" class=\"wp-block-file__button wp-element-button\" download aria-describedby=\"wp-block-file--media-c2fbf4c7-18d8-4efd-9469-03f32417e6c8\">Download<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Soundbite: Morn\u00e9 Mostert (English) Soundbite: Morn\u00e9 Mostert (Afrikaans) AfriForum has just secured a decisive and final victory over Eskom that&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":37796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11173,11162],"tags":[8951,13298,11272],"class_list":["post-111247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government-affairs-media-statements","category-media-statements","tag-coal","tag-contracts","tag-eskom-2"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":11173,"label":"Local 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