Eskom went to court this week to gag Maroga from revealing that Yunus Shaik apparently tried to force Maroga into accepting a settlement and leaving the parastatal at the time of his battles with the board.

Maroga has claimed Shaik purported to be President Jacob Zuma's emissary.

In papers filed with the Johannesburg High Court this week, Maroga claimed Shaik had become "abusive" when he (Maroga) refused to accept a settlement.

"That was greeted with the most abusive language from Mr Shaik, who said something to the following effect: 'Who the f*** do you think you are that you can hold the entire country to ransom?'"

Shaik claims he was representing the Department of Public Enterprises. When quizzed yesterday about his alleged threats to Maroga, Shaik would only say: "All the matters that featured during the mediation process are confidential and I am not at liberty to discuss them in the media."

His answers contradict Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan's affidavit to the court in which she claimed the Presidency had appointed Shaik as mediator.

DA chief whip Ian Davidson said his party would demand answers in Parliament about Shaik's contract as mediator.

"We intend to raise questions on his suitability to do the job and what expertise, particularly in labour law, he may have had in the matter, because clearly he failed," Davidson said. "His (Shaik's) appointment to mediate in the dispute sounds all too familiar to giving government contracts to somebody who happens to be a friend of someone somewhere in government."

With acknowledgements to Thabiso Thakali and The Star.