Eskom acting CEO Calib Cassim, and two others, went along to China to assess an offer of assistance, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan told MPs on Wednesday regarding the trip his department had touted as breaking the deadlock over the Transnet locomotives.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan travelled to China to meet "counterparts in the Chinese government as part of efforts to fast-track the delivery of locomotives and spare parts by the Chinese state-owned CRRC e-Loco to Transnet", the Public Enterprises Department said on 1 May.

That Eskom's acting CEO, Calib Cassim, accompanied Gordhan emerged last week when the state power utility's board chairperson, Mpho Makwana, said the executive was in China but gave no further details.

At Wednesday's meeting of Parliament's public spending watchdog, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), DA MP Alf Lees followed up, asking why the Eskom CEO was taken out of the country at a time of electricity crisis.

"There was an offer of assistance in the current environment we find ourselves in from various entities in China. I am not qualified to assess (this). The acting GCEO (Eskom Group CEO) and two others were in a position to interact and assess," said Gordhan, adding that similar offers had come from other countries.

The two other Eskom officials remained unnamed.

Like the Transnet locomotive matter - the delivery of spare parts has been held up over the tax authority's push for the Chinese provider...