Eskom paid hundreds of millions for diesel that ‘didn’t exist’

Daily Maverick · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · Aug 21, 2026 · 4221 words · By Susan Comrie

Energy Crisis Management State Capture Legacy Corporate Corruption

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What to know about Energy Crisis Management

Last month, a group of investigators turned up at the gates of Burgan Terminal, a massive fuel import and storage depot in Cape Town harbour.

Claims checked 13

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left17%

Center66%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Last month, a group of investigators turned up at the gates of Burgan Terminal, a massive fuel import and storage depot in Cape Town harbour.

Why it matters

They were looking for diesel: not to buy it, but to locate 39 million litres (currently worth R1-billion) that belongs to Eskom.

Common ground

But instead of welcoming them in, the security guards allegedly shut the gates.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole, Transfer: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Energy Crisis Management story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Eskom okayed a payment to Nutinox for R89.7-million?
How does this story connect Energy Crisis Management with State Capture Legacy over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-21-eskom-paid-hundreds-of-millio…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Transfer 70% confidence

Projecting positive or negative qualities of one thing onto another to make it accepted or rejected.

Why it matters: Recognizing transfer helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 13 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 6

schedule Pending 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 1

verified Verified 1

help

Claim 1: “Eskom okayed a payment to Nutinox for R89.7-million”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the claim that Eskom paid Nutinox R89.7-million.

schedule

Claim 2: “On 31 January 2025... Eskom announced that it would have to impose load shedding, at stage 3”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “On 8 January 2025, Nutinox, another of the new suppliers, gave Eskom a delivery note saying that it had also delivered five million litres of fuel to the Burgan Terminal”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to support the claim regarding Nutinox's delivery note on January 8, 2025.

schedule

Claim 4: “Emissions records, published on the Eskom website, show that Ankerlig had burnt through 46 million litres of diesel (then worth R858-million) in one month”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 5: “Ankerlig, the emergency power plant outside Cape Town, can store 16 million litres of diesel”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While Wikipedia and other sources confirm Ankerlig is a power station with specific megawatt capacities, none of the provided evidence mentions its diesel storage capacity of 16 million litres.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Koeberg Nuclear Power Station is a nuclear power station in South Africa and is the only one built on the African continent. It is located 30 km north of Cape Town, near Melkbosstrand on the west coas…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koeberg_Nuclear_Power_Station

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kusile Power Station (previously known as Project Bravo) in South Africa is a coal-fired power plant owned and operated by the country's state-owned power utility Eskom and is located in the province …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusile_Power_Station

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Africa's energy crisis (or load shedding) was a period of widespread national power outages that began at the end of 2007 and last occurred on 16 May 2025. The South African government-owned nat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_energy_crisis

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 6: “A total of 38.8 million litres remained outstanding, but only five million litres were physically in the tanks at Burgan Terminal”

SINGLE SOURCE

The News24 article specifically reports that 5 million litres were physically in the tanks and 38.8 million litres remained outstanding. Other results are irrelevant or discuss different contexts.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Only 5 million litres were physically in the tanks at Burgan Terminal, and 38.8 million litres remained outstanding. READ | Inside Eskom’s dodgy R21 billion diesel contract.
https://www.news24.com/business/economy/eskom-paid-hundreds-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Prosecutors are examining the seized vehicles, accounting documents and invoices to establish responsibility. For scale, Infobae compared the Guanajuato volume with the 15.48 million liters seized in …
https://cartelinsider.com/wire/eng/readers/60e21181dae1b98c7…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This was a big ask: five million litres at the going rate of R18.64/litre would cost R93-million.Despite this, Eskom is obliged to keep paying Nutinox R1.2-million (R1.38-million incl VAT) a month to …
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-10-inside-es…

info

Claim 7: “Eskom had “received” 10 million litres of diesel on 3 January 2025 from Severino Industries”

SINGLE SOURCE

The News24 article reports that Eskom received 10 million litres of diesel on 3 January 2025 from Severino Industries. Other search results for this claim are in Japanese and unrelated to Eskom.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 20, 2025 · ECと店頭の連携が小売の成果を左右する時代。最新オムニチャネル戦略、BOPIS・在庫統合・顧客ID連携・SNS連動など、ブランド担当者が押さえたい成功事例とポイントを1分でわかる形で解説します。
https://cosme-beauty-business.com/ecと店頭をつなぐオムニチャネル戦略の最新動向/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Dec 26, 2025 · オムニチャネルとは、企業と顧客とのあらゆる接点（チャネル）を連携し、一貫した購買体験を提供するマーケティング戦略のことです。オムニチャネルの概要と売上アップにつながる理由、成功事例、導入に向けた手順を紹介します。
https://ec-force.com/blog/d2c_no341

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jul 23, 2025 · これらの課題を解決するには、オムニチャネルの導入をおすすめします。この記事では、オムニチャネルが注目されている背景から成功事例、事例から学ぶべきポイントまで解説します。
https://www.future-shop.jp/magazine/omnichannel-success-stor…

info

Claim 8: “Three days later, Eskom had paid Severino R179.2-million”

SINGLE SOURCE

The News24 article reports that Eskom paid Severino R179.2 million three days after the January 3rd receipt. No other independent source confirms this specific payment amount and date.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — According to records, Eskom received” 10 million litres of diesel on 3 January 2025 from Severino Industries, one of the new suppliers. Three days later, Eskom paid Severino R179.2 million.
https://www.news24.com/business/economy/eskom-paid-hundreds-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Severino’s managing director, Mzee Peter, who was appointed to head up the company shortly before the contract was awarded told us: “Severino Industries met all tender and contractual requirements. Es…
https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-10-inside-es…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eskom raises EAF to 67.78%, cuts diesel costs by R4.8 billion year-on-year and reduces year-to-date particulate emissions by 67% in 5 months.
https://www.eskom.co.za/

info

Claim 9: “Eskom had recorded the 40 million litres diesel as “received” at Burgan Terminal in July last year and had made two payments to its supplier, Lanele Resources, of R360-million each”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim is irrelevant. The search results discuss Severino Industries (not Lanele) and general map/bank services. No evidence confirms the 40 million litres or the R720-million payment to Lanele Resources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Yandex Maps will help you find your destination even if you don't have the exact address — get a route for taking public transport, driving, or walking.
https://yandex.com/maps/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Backoffice - Burgan Bank.
https://www.burgan.com.tr/backoffice/

schedule

Claim 10: “between February and April 2025, Eskom made 15 prepayments – collectively worth R2.97-billion”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 11: “investigators, from forensic firm Itsamaya Holdings and Eskom’s own Group Investigations and Security Department, had been digging into allegations surrounding diesel contracts, potentially worth R21-billion, that Eskom signed in December 2024”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is explicitly mentioned in a News24 report (via web search), but other search results only mention general investigations by Eskom's security department without confirming the specific R21-billion figure or the involvement of Itsamaya Holdings.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — For more than a year, the investigators, from forensic firm Itsamaya Holdings and Eskom's own Group Investigations and Security Department, had been digging into allegations surrounding diesel contrac…
https://allafrica.com/stories/202608210125.html

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eskom said that its new Group Investigations and Security Department launched an investigation into possible irregularities as part of its ongoing governance, risk, and assurance processes.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/energy/642448-r77-million-wor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eskom also utilises diesel-fired capacity from two Independent Power Producer (IPP) stations as part of its broader operations. These IPP arrangements are not part of the current investigation or asso…
https://pmg.org.za/committee-question/38307/?via=homepage-ca…

verified

Claim 12: “Eskom has reported this matter to the [Hawks]”

VERIFIED

Multiple search results confirm that Eskom reported the matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), which is commonly known as the Hawks, due to suspicions of fraud and corruption.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eskom has confirmed disciplinary action against employees involved in procurement breaches linked to R21-billion diesel contracts. Following an interim investigation.
https://iol.co.za/news/south-africa/2026-05-15-eskom-acts-ag…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Due to the suspicion of fraud and corruption, Eskom has reported this matter to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), in line with the requirements of Section 34 (4) of the Preventi…
https://www.politicsweb.co.za/news/eskom-to-pursue-disciplin…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Eskom reports that it is aiming to stabilise yearly sales at the 178 TWh level reported in its 2026 financial year, which represented another 6.1% year-on-year fall.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70vIfyTBRw

info

Claim 13: “Lanele had contracted Vitol’s local subsidiary, Vesquin Trading, to provide it with diesel for Eskom”

SINGLE SOURCE

The News24 article explicitly confirms that Lanele contracted Vesquin Trading (a subsidiary of Vitol) to provide diesel for Eskom. No other independent source corroborates this specific contractual relationship.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — But Vitol – the Swiss commodities giant which part-owns Burgan Terminal – agreed to play open cards: Lanele had contracted Vitol’s local subsidiary, Vesquin Trading, to provide it with diesel for Esko…
https://www.news24.com/business/economy/eskom-paid-hundreds-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Vitol is a Swiss-based Dutch multinational energy and commodity trading company that was founded in Rotterdam in 1966 by Henk Viëtor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitol

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — olá meu nome é kesley estou tendo problemas ao formatar meu pc já tentei com pendrive e não funcionou quando clico em qualquer forma de fazer restauração o pc até vai até 100% mas quando a tela fica
https://answers.microsoft.com/pt-br/windows/forum/all/pc-não…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.